Editing Apulon (section)

{{Infobox ancient site
| name           = Apulon
| native_name    = 
| native_name_lang =
| alternate_name =  ''Dacian Fortress of Piatra Craivii, Dacian Settlement of Piatra Craivii''
| image          = PiatraCraivii.jpg
| image_size     = 
| alt            = 
| caption        = Piatra Craivii
| map_type       = Romania
| map_alt        = 
| map_caption    = 
| map_size       = 
| altitude_m     = 1010
| altitude_ref   = 
| relief         =
| coordinates    = {{coord|46.209122|23.485422|display=inline,title}}
| map_dot_label  =
| location       = Piatra Craivii,&nbsp;[[Craiva, Alba|Craiva]][[Alba County]]{{ROU}}
| area           = 
| built          = 
| abandoned      = 
| epochs         = <!-- actually displays as "Periods" -->
| cultures       = [[Apuli]]
| event          = [[Trajan's Dacian Wars]]
| discovered     = 
| excavations    = 
| archaeologists = 
| condition      = 
| designation1   = 
| designation1_number = 
| designation2   = Monument istoric
| designation2_number = AB-I-s-A-00028
| website        = 
| architectural_styles =
| architectural_details =
| notes          = 
}}

[[File:RomanDacia TabulaPeutingeriana.png|thumb|right|text-top|upright=1.5|''Apula'' on the [[Roman Dacia]] selection from [[Tabula Peutingeriana]]]]

'''Apulon''' (or ''Apoulon'') was a [[Dacia]]n fortress city close to modern [[Alba Iulia]], [[Romania]]. The [[Latin]] name of [[Alba Iulia#History|Apulum]] is derived. The exact location is believed by many archaeologists to be the Dacian fortifications on top of ''Piatra Craivii'', [[Craiva, Alba|Craiva]], [[Cricău]], about 20&nbsp;km north of Alba-Iulia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apulum.ro/en/istoria.htm |title=Alba Iulia Online |access-date=2013-03-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211093233/http://www.apulum.ro/en/istoria.htm |archive-date=2012-02-11 }}</ref>

Apulon was an important Dacian political, economic and social center, the capital of the [[Apuli]] tribe. It was first mentioned by the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] geographer [[Ptolemy]] in his [[Geographia]], under the name '''Apulon'''. It is also depicted in the ''[[Tabula Peutingeriana]]'' as an important city named '''Apula''', at the cross road of two main routes: one coming from [[Blandiana]], the other from [[Acidava]]. The two roads merge at Apula, with the next stop on the route being [[Brucla]].

After the southern part of [[Dacia]] became a province of the [[Roman Empire]], the capital of the [[Dacia Apulensis]] district was established here, and the city was known as '''[[Alba Iulia#History|Apulum]]'''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xiii_gemina.html |title=Apulum @Livius.orgl |access-date=2020-03-26 |archive-date=2006-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026204137/http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xiii_gemina.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Apulum was one of the largest centers in [[Roman Dacia]] and the seat of the [[Legio XIII Gemina|XIII Gemina]] [[Roman Legion|Legion]]. The [[Apulum (castra)|castra at Apulum]] is the largest in Romania, occupying 37,5 [[hectare|ha]] (750 x 500 m<sup>2</sup>).