Editing History of Slovakia (section)

== Antiquity ==
{{further|Slovakia in the Roman era}}
[[File:Celtic expansion.PNG|thumb|right|The spread of [[archaeological culture]]s associated with the [[Celts]] in Europe: <br />
{{legend|#1a8000|core [[Hallstatt culture|Hallstatt]] territory, by the {{nobr|6th century BC}}}}
{{legend|#97ffb6|maximal Celtic expansion, by the {{nobr|3rd century BC}}}}
{{legend|#b7ffc6|[[Lusitania]]n and [[Vettones]]' area where Celtic presence has been proposed by Koch and Cunliffe}}]]
[[File:Miracolo della Pioggia.JPG|thumb|right|alt=Miracle of the Rain|The "[[Marcomannic Wars#First Marcomannic War#The Roman counter-offensive and defeat of the Marcomanni|Miracle of the Rain]]" depicted on the [[Column of Marcus Aurelius]] in [[Rome]]]]
The [[Celts]] were the first population in the territory of present-day Slovakia who can be identified on the basis of written sources.{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|pp=10-11}}{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=13}} The first [[Celts|Celtic groups]] came from the West around {{nobr|400 BC}}.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=13}} Settlements of the [[La Tène culture]] indicate that the Celts colonized the lowlands along the river [[Danube]] and its tributaries.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=13}}{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=11}} The local population was either subjected by the Celts or withdrew to the mountainous northern territory.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=13}} New Celtic groups arrived from Northern Italy during the {{nobr|2nd century BC}}.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=13}}{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=11}} The Celts initially lived in tiny huts{{spaced ndash}}{{convert|4|x|3|m|ft|0}} in size{{spaced ndash}}which either formed small villages or were scattered across the countryside.{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=11}}

Some of the small hill forts which were built in the {{nobr|1st century BC}} developed into important local economic and administrative centers.{{sfn|Collis|1996|p=159}} For example, the hill fort at Zemplín was a center of iron-working; glass works were unearthed at [[Liptovská Mara]]; and local coins were struck at Bratislava and Liptovská Mara.{{sfn|Collis|1996|pp=160-161}} Coins from Bratislava bore inscriptions like [[Biatec]] and Nonnos.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=13}} The fort at Liptovská Mara was also an important center of the cult of the bearers of the [[Púchov culture]] of the Northern Carpathians.{{sfn|Collis|1996|p=160}}

[[Burebista]], King of the [[Dacians]], invaded the Middle Danube region and subjugated the majority of the local [[Celtic tribes]] (the [[Boii]] and the [[Taurisci]]) around {{nobr|60 BC}}.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=14}}{{sfn|Rustoiu|2005|p=47}} Burebista's empire collapsed after he died about 16 years later.{{sfn|Rustoiu|2005|p=48}} Archaeological sites yielding painted ceramics and other artefacts of Dacian provenance suggest that Dacian groups settled among the local Celts in the region of the rivers [[Bodrog]], [[Hron]] and [[Nitra]].{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=14}} The spread of the "Púchov culture", associated with the Celtic [[Cotini]], shows that the bearers of that culture started a northward expansion during the same period.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=14}}[[File:Dacia_occupation_of_Pannonia_and_modern_day_Czechia.png|thumb|right|alt=Dacia|Dacian dominance in today's Slovakia and their influence in neighboring areas]]

The [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] and the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic tribes]] launched their first invasions against the territories along the Middle Danube in the last decade of the {{nobr|1st century BC}}.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=14}} Roman legions crossed the Danube near Bratislava under the command of [[Tiberius]] to fight against the Germanic [[Quadi]] in {{nobr|6 AD}}, but the local tribes' rebellion in Pannonia forced the Romans to return.{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=14}}{{sfn|Kirschbaum|1996|p=16}} Taking advantage of internal strifes, the Romans settled a group of Quadi in the lowlands along the Danube between the rivers [[Morava (river)|Morava]] and [[Váh]] in 21, making [[Vannius]] their king.{{sfn|Kirschbaum|1996|p=16}} The Germans lived in rectangular houses, rather than square ones,{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=15}} and cremated their dead, placing the ashes in an urn.{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=15}}

Although the Danube formed the frontier between the Roman Empire and the "[[Barbaricum]]", the Romans built small outposts along the left bank of the Danube, for instance, at [[Iža]] and [[Devín]].{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=13}} During the same period, the Germanic tribes were expanding to the north along the rivers Hron, [[Ipeľ]] and Nitra.{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=15}} Roman troops crossed the Danube several times during the [[Marcomannic Wars]] between 160 and 180.{{sfn|Kirschbaum|1996|p=16}} Emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]] accomplished the first chapter of his ''[[Meditations]]'' during a campaign against the Quadi in the region of the Hron River in 172.{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|p=14}} The "[[History of Christianity in Slovakia#Antiquity|Miracle of the Rain]]"{{spaced ndash}}a storm which saved an exhausted Roman army{{spaced ndash}}occurred in the land north of the Danube in 173; Christian authors attributed it to a Christian soldier's prayer.{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=15}}{{sfn|Spiesz|Caplovic|Bolchazy|2006|pp=14-15}} Roman troops crossed the Danube for the last time in 374, during Emperor [[Valentinian I]]'s campaign against the Quadi who had allied with the [[Sarmatians]] and invaded the Roman province of [[Pannonia]].{{sfn|Bartl|Čičaj|Kohútova|Letz|2002|p=16}}