Eras and  Wines - Egregy

Late roman grave

The grave made from bricks was cut in a steep bank and discovered in 1925 on the eastern end of the parcel of resident László Baráth during ploughing. There was a male skeleton lying inside with bronze fibula on his right shoulder and a bronze belt snap on his waist. Beside the above an iron knife, fragments of a glass pot and a bronze coin from the era a Constantinus the 2nd (340-361) were found in the grave. The folks of Egregy soon started to spread the rumour that the grave contains the body of a Roman military officer alongside with many golden coins and military medals.

The archaeological excavation was made by dr Árpád Csák director of the Balaton Museum. The grave goods were transported to the museum in Keszthely where the relics were destroyed in World War II. But the brick-grave was not disassembled so it maintained its original condition and the skeleton as well and it can be visited. The Roman grave in Egregy is part of an unexcavated graveyard where a local citizen was buried around the middle of the 4th century with poor grave goods.

Dezső Kosztolányi, a famous Hungarian writer visited the place and observed the grave of the “Roman captain” in 1934. He wrote about his experiences in his short novel titled “Egregy” where he obtained “inspiration” from the mysterious connection between the world conqueror Rome and the tiny village and they encounter trough the life of the “Roman soldier” and the plough of László Baráth.

Grave of a roman soldier - audio material

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