{"id":160964,"date":"2026-07-10T22:40:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T20:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/?post_type=artykuly&#038;p=160964"},"modified":"2026-08-22T16:09:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T14:09:04","slug":"gate-of-trajan","status":"publish","type":"artykuly","link":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/gate-of-trajan\/","title":{"rendered":"Gate of Trajan"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Chapters<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/gate-of-trajan\/#fortifications\" >Fortifications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/gate-of-trajan\/#from-trajan-to-basil-986-ce\" >From Trajan to Basil, 986 CE<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/gate-of-trajan\/#later-history\" >Later history<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/gate-of-trajan\/#on-the-etymology\" >On the etymology<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Located in present-day Bulgaria, approximately 50 kilometres from the capital city of Sofia, the mountain pass known as <em>the Gate of <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/trajan\/\">Trajan<\/a><\/em> (Bulgarian: <em>\u0422\u0440\u0430\u044f\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438<\/em> <em>\u0432\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0430<\/em>) formed part of the <em>Via Militaris<\/em>, a Roman road constructed in the 1st century CE that connected the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/roman-provinces\/\">provinces<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/neighboring-lands-around-ancient-rome\/thrace\/\">Thrace<\/a> and Moesia Superior, and later linked the territories of the Eastern <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-empire\/\">Roman Empire<\/a> with the lands beyond its borders, commonly referred to as <em>Barbaricum.<\/em><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Initially unguarded, the pass was eventually fortified with a stronghold known either as <em>Stipon or Trajan&#8217;s Gate<\/em>, as it was traditionally believed to have been built during the reign of <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/emperor-who-was-chosen-by-gods\/\">Emperor<\/a> Trajan (98\u2013117 CE). However, the earliest written references to the fortress date only to the late 3rd or early 4th century CE. Combined with the increasing threat posed by barbarian incursions during this period, this has led some historians to argue that the fortress was actually constructed several centuries after Trajan&#8217;s reign.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"fortifications\"><\/span>Fortifications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-right \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych-400x283.jpg\"\n                srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych-400x283.jpg 400w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych-600x425.jpg 600w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych-200x142.jpg 200w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych-640x453.jpg 640w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych.jpg 1200w\"                alt=\"Via Militaris (blue) and Via Egnatia (red), the two main communication arteries of the Balkans in ancient times\"\n                width=\"250\"\n                height=\"177\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Via-Militaris-niebieski-oraz-Via-Egnatia-czerwony-dwie-glowne-arterie-komunikacyjne-Balkanow-w-czasach-antycznych.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"Via Militaris (blue) and Via Egnatia (red), the two main communication arteries of the Balkans in ancient times\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                Via Militaris (blue) and Via Egnatia (red), the two main communication arteries of the Balkans in ancient times            <\/div>\n        \n                    <div class=\"chmurka\">\n                Wikipedia            <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>Although the surviving ruins today rise no more than five metres above the surrounding ground, the walls once reached heights of up to thirteen metres. The fortress consisted of two gate towers and a third tower situated in the southern part of the complex. These were connected by a curtain wall approximately ten metres high and more than two metres thick.<\/p>\n<p>Because the fortress occupied the highest point of the mountain pass, the uneven terrain gave the complex the shape of an elongated pentagon. In addition to its main gate, flanked by the two principal towers, the walls contained five smaller postern gates. During a siege, these allowed the garrison to launch surprise sorties and conduct diversionary operations without being easily detected.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the fortress is the remains of an underground tunnel connecting it to a nearby river that supplied the garrison with fresh drinking water. Unfortunately, only the entrance to the tunnel survives today.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"from-trajan-to-basil-986-ce\"><\/span>From Trajan to Basil, 986 CE<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-right \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni-351x198.jpg\"\n                srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni-351x198.jpg 351w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni.jpg 1200w\"                alt=\"One of the five smaller passages in the fortress wall\"\n                width=\"250\"\n                height=\"141\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Jedno-z-pieciu-pomniejszych-przejsc-w-murze-warowni.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"One of the five smaller passages in the fortress wall.\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                One of the five smaller passages in the fortress wall.            <\/div>\n        \n                    <div class=\"chmurka\">\n                travelfinder.bg            <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>The fortress was garrisoned by approximately 120 soldiers. From the reign of Constantine the Great (306\u2013337 CE) onward, these troops most likely belonged to the <em>Limitanei<\/em>, the frontier forces that generally possessed lower combat effectiveness than the empire&#8217;s field armies.<\/p>\n<p>From its construction until the 10th century CE, the fortress rarely appeared in historical records. Nevertheless, its location on the frontier facing Barbaricum suggests that it almost certainly witnessed numerous clashes with invading peoples, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/neighboring-lands-around-ancient-rome\/huns\/\">Huns<\/a> under Attila. During the more difficult periods of Eastern Roman history, the fortress changed hands several times and at various points came under the control of the Bulgarian Empire.<\/p>\n<p>Trajan&#8217;s Gate entered recorded military history on <em>17 August 986<\/em>, when Bulgarian forces decisively defeated the retreating <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/\">army<\/a> of the Eastern Roman Emperor Basil II, later known as the &#8220;Bulgar Slayer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Basil, who ruled from 976 to 1025 CE, is remembered as the emperor who ultimately crushed the power of Bulgaria after decades of warfare. His infamous epithet stemmed from his decision to blind thousands of Bulgarian prisoners captured following the decisive Battle of Kleidion in 1014 CE. Yet his eventual victory was far from inevitable, as demonstrated by the disastrous defeat he suffered at Trajan&#8217;s Gate in 986.<\/p>\n<p>During the first decade of his reign, Basil was forced to suppress unrest elsewhere in the empire, allowing Bulgaria to recover much of the territory it had lost during conflicts with his predecessors. The Bulgarians succeeded in reclaiming extensive lands and even captured Larissa, the principal city of Thessaly in present-day <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/greece-birth-of-city\/\">Greece<\/a>. This expansion prompted Basil to lead an army of between 15,000 and 20,000 soldiers toward Sofia, then known as <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-geography\/roman-cities\/serdica\/\">Serdica<\/a>. He secured his lines of communication with troops commanded by Leo Melissenos. Located in the heart of Bulgarian territory, the city would have served as an ideal base for further military operations.<\/p>\n<p>The siege lasted only about twenty days before the imperial army ran dangerously short of supplies. Attempts to obtain provisions failed because the Bulgarians employed a scorched-earth strategy. To make matters worse, the city&#8217;s defenders launched a successful sortie that destroyed the Roman siege engines, while additional Bulgarian forces approached from the southeast.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-right \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana-400x375.jpg\"\n                srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana-400x375.jpg 400w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana-600x563.jpg 600w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana-200x188.jpg 200w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana-640x600.jpg 640w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana.jpg 1200w\"                alt=\"Outline of the military operations leading to the defeat at Trajan&#039;s Gate\"\n                width=\"250\"\n                height=\"234\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarys-dzialan-wojennych-prowadzacych-do-porazki-u-Wrot-Trajana.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"Outline of the military operations leading to the defeat at Trajan&#8217;s Gate\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                Outline of the military operations leading to the defeat at Trajan&#8217;s Gate            <\/div>\n        \n                    <div class=\"chmurka\">\n                Wikipedia            <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>Starvation, reports that Bulgarian reinforcements under the future Tsar Samuel were steadily closing in, and rumours that Leo Melissenos, who had independently withdrawn into imperial territory, intended to seize the throne, forced Basil to abandon the campaign. Around 14 August he left the outskirts of Sofia with his army, reaching the vicinity of Trajan&#8217;s Gate two days later.<\/p>\n<p>During the night of 16\u201317 August 986, the Bulgarians attacked the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-army\/roman-camp\/\">Roman camp<\/a>. Having followed the imperial army throughout its retreat, they were well aware of the enemy&#8217;s declining morale. The attackers succeeded in surrounding most of Basil&#8217;s forces. Only the vanguard detected the danger in time and escaped toward the pass. Most of the encircled soldiers were killed. Emperor Basil II himself survived only because a small detachment of elite Armenian infantry managed to escort him safely out of the camp.<\/p>\n<p>The immediate consequence of the defeat was a serious political crisis within the Byzantine Empire. The aristocracy of <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/article\/roman-provinces-in-asia-minor\/\">Asia Minor<\/a>, led by Bardas Phokas, commander of the eastern armies, rose in rebellion against Basil&#8217;s rule. Meanwhile, Bulgaria temporarily expanded its influence to the Adriatic coast and absorbed territories belonging to the defeated Serbian state. Years later, however, Basil returned to Bulgaria, decisively avenged his earlier defeat, and once again pushed the imperial frontier far beyond Trajan&#8217;s Gate.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"later-history\"><\/span>Later history<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The battle of 986 CE was the last major military engagement fought in the pass. Over time, the site gradually lost its strategic defensive importance. During the 15th century, the Ottoman authorities established the town of Palankata nearby to assume responsibility for guarding the pass, while the ruins of Trajan&#8217;s Gate slowly fell into decay.<\/p>\n<p>According to historical accounts, the arch of the fortress&#8217;s main gate remained standing until the 19th century, although it has since disappeared completely.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"on-the-etymology\"><\/span>On the etymology<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-right \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana-400x373.jpg\"\n                srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana-400x373.jpg 400w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana-600x560.jpg 600w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana-200x187.jpg 200w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana-640x597.jpg 640w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana.jpg 1200w\"                alt=\"Sketch of the now-vanished arch of the Trajan&#039;s Gate\"\n                width=\"250\"\n                height=\"233\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Szkic-nieistniejacego-juz-luku-bramy-Wrot-Trajana.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"Sketch of the now-vanished arch of the Trajan&#8217;s Gate.\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                Sketch of the now-vanished arch of the Trajan&#8217;s Gate.            <\/div>\n        \n                    <div class=\"chmurka\">\n                L.F. Marsigli, c. 1700 CE            <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>As mentioned earlier, the exact date of the fortress&#8217;s construction remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that its present name is not the original one. In antiquity, the mountain pass was known as<em> Succi<\/em>, while the fortress itself was called <em>Stipon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The latter name was most likely derived from the Greek words <em>Sineon<\/em> or <em>Soneium<\/em>, both related to <em>stenos<\/em>, meaning &#8220;narrow&#8221; or &#8220;passage&#8221;, or from the Latin verb <em>stipare<\/em>, meaning &#8220;to press together&#8221; or &#8220;to crowd.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The later name <em>Trajan&#8217;s Gate<\/em> (also known during the Middle Ages as the Tsar\u2019s or King\u2019s Gate) appears to have originated in the writings of the historian Antonio Bonfini (1427\u20131502), who used it while describing the military campaign of <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-kingdom\/roman-kings\/\">King<\/a> W\u0142adys\u0142aw III of Poland (W\u0142adys\u0142aw of Varna), whose army passed through the mountain pass in 1443.<\/p>\n<div id=\"simple-translate\" class=\"simple-translate-system-theme\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"simple-translate-button isShow\" style=\"background-image: url('moz-extension:\/\/31c573ce-8b83-4793-b401-32ff1c744b62\/icons\/512.png'); height: 22px; width: 22px; top: 725px; left: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"simple-translate-panel \" style=\"width: 300px; height: 200px; top: 0px; left: 0px; font-size: 13px;\">\n<div class=\"simple-translate-result-wrapper\" style=\"overflow: hidden;\">\n<div class=\"simple-translate-move\" draggable=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"simple-translate-result-contents\">\n<p class=\"simple-translate-result\" dir=\"auto\">\n<p class=\"simple-translate-candidate\" dir=\"auto\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":160963,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"kategorie_artykulow":[155],"class_list":["post-160964","artykuly","type-artykuly","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","kategorie_artykulow-architecture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artykuly\/160964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artykuly"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/artykuly"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artykuly\/160964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"kategorie_artykulow","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kategorie_artykulow?post=160964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}