Sarmatians in the great plain

In the first decades AD the Sarmatian- Jazygians arrived first here from East and this tribe with Iranian origin settled between the rivers Danube and Tisza. Other tribes of Sarmatians, Roxolans and Alans came here much later.

Gradually they had to give up their former way of life and changed to agriculture.

In the area of the current Great Plain they were the neighbours and contemporaries of the Romans for longest period of time and this fact also determined ancient history of our land, which was not other than fightings and peaceful periods between the Romans and Sarmatians. Many times they attacked the province Pannonia Inferior, for which the Romans responded with punishment campaigns and building a limes fortress system along the Danube.  Almost each Roman emperor had campaign against Sarmatians (Domitianus, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Constantinus the Great).

In peaceful periods commercial roads led through the barbarian lands-mainly between the two provinces, Pannonia and Dacia - on these roads the trading caravans, emperor’s mail-coach service and military supplies were managed. At that time – based on ancient authors- the Sarmatians lived in 8 larger and numerous smaller settlements between Danube and Tisza rivers. In the years of 320s AD –in order to protect the Sarmatian territory- a trench system called ’Csörsz trench’ was built by direction of Roman military engineers, certain traces of which can also be seen in the Great Plain, even today.

Very few is known about religious life of Sarmatians. As each people with Iranian origin they also followed fire cult, relief of ram appeared at funerals –perhaps together with ram sacrifice- which can be connected with an ancient Iranian ideological formation, the farn cult symbolising power, wealth, ruler’s luxory and fortune.

Where had the Sarmatians been disappeared to? Most of them was dissolved in the storm of the great migrations, but their certain groups could survive up till Hun, Avar and even Hungarian conquest, but –based on linquistic- religion historic data- we have to consider their influence after that time as well.

Design: Nd 2006.