Argidava should not be confused with Argedava.
| Argidava | |
| Alternate Name: | Argidaua, Arcidava, Arcidaua, Argedava, Argedauon, Argedabon, Sargedava, Sargedauon, Zargedava, Zargedauon |
| Map Type: | Romania |
| Coordinates: | 45.08°N 21.55°W |
| Location: | Poiana Flămânda,[1] Vărădia, Caraș-Severin County, Romania |
| Cultures: | Albocense |
| Condition: | Ruined |
| Designation2: | Monument istoric |
| Designation2 Number: | CS-I-s-B-10894 |
Argidava (Argidaua, Arcidava, Arcidaua, Argedava, Argedauon, Argedabon, Sargedava, Sargedauon, Zargedava, Zargedauon, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἀργίδαυα, Αργεδαυον, Αργεδαβον, Σαργεδαυον) was a Dacian fortress town close to the Danube, inhabited and governed by the Albocense. Located in today's Vărădia, Caraș-Severin County, Romania.
After the Roman conquest of Dacia, it became a military and a civilian center, with a castrum (Roman fort) (see Castra Arcidava) built in the area. The fort was used to monitor the shores of the Danube.[2]
The oldest found potential reference to Argidava is in the form Argedauon or Argedabon (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Αργεδαυον, Αργεδαβον), written in stone, in the Decree of Dionysopolis (48 BC). However, it is unclear as to whether this refers to Argidava or a distinct town Argedava.
Argidava is mentioned in Ptolemy's Geographia (c. 150 AD) in the form Argidaua (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἀργίδαυα) as an important Dacian town, at latitude 46° 30' N and longitude 45° 15' E (note that he used a different meridian and some of his calculations were off).
Argidava is also depicted in the Tabula Peutingeriana (2nd century AD) in the form Arcidaua, on a Roman road network, between Apo Fl. and Centum Putea. The location corresponds to the one mentioned by Ptolemy and the different form is most likely caused by the G/C graphical confusion commonly found in Latin documents.