Editing Băile Herculane (section)

==History==
{{Historical populations
|source = Census data
|1956 |1656
|1966 |2456
|1977 |3835
|1992 |6340
|2002 |6051
|2011 |5008
|2021 |3787
}}

The [[spa town]] of Băile Herculane has a long history of human habitation.  Numerous archaeological discoveries show that the area has been inhabited since the [[Paleolithic]] era.  The ''Peștera Hoților'' ([[Cave]] of the Thieves), contains multiple levels, including one from the [[Mousterian]] period, one from the [[Mesolithic]] period (late Epigravettian) and several from the later [[Neolithic]] periods.

The Romans established the town of ''Ad Aquas Herculis'' based on the legend that the weary [[Hercules]] stopped in the valley to bathe and rest. Unearthed stone carvings show that visiting Roman aristocrats turned the town into a Roman leisure centre. Six statues of Hercules from the time have been discovered.  A bronze replica of one of them, molded in 1874, stands as a landmark in the town centre.

Roman baths, mapped in 1774,<ref>Bozu Ovidiu, Öffentliche und Private Gebäude An Den Römischen Strassen Aus Dem Banat, BANATICA 18 2008 ISSN 1222-0612</ref> became the thermal spring now known as Hygea's Spring, had an area of 667 m<sup>2</sup> with 11 rooms. In the middle of the building was a circular pool of 5 m diameter with steps descending to the pool floor. There was another rectangular pool with sides of 8 x 4.2 m. On the steep Cerna bank the Romans built another five buildings around thermal springs.

The ruins of the amphitheatre were 43 m from the left bank of the river. It had an outer diameter of 47.4 m. The Austrian architects took the massive ruins into account in order to create a rectangular park with terraces which still exists today in the centre.

[[Habsburg monarchy|Austrian]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] troops clashed here after the Ottoman victory in the battle of [[Mehadia]] on 30 August 1788.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://f.eba.gov.tr/flippingbook/04-ansiklopediler/04-ansiklopediler-ansiklopediler-osmanli-tarihi-cilt-3/files/assets/basic-html/page138.html|title=Untitled-4|website=f.eba.gov.tr}}</ref> The Ottomans won the skirmish, took the town on 7 September 1788 and advanced to [[Caransebeș]]. It was retaken by the Austrians at the end of September 1789.

<gallery mode=packed>
File:Roman baths at Băile Herculane.png|Roman baths from 1774
File:Baile Herculane road 1824.jpg|The town in 1824
File:Baile_Herculane_01.JPG|The town around 1900
File:Baile Herculane 02.JPG|The town around 1900
File:Posta Romana 1991 Hotels 10.jpg|Romanian stamp of the Hotel Roman
</gallery>