The area around Vinkovci has been continually inhabited since the Neolithic period. According to archaeologist Aleksandar Durman, Vinkovci has been continuously inhabited for 8,300 years. It was made a (the Roman name for town or city) under Hadrian and gained the status of during the reign of emperor Caracalla. It was the birthplace of Roman emperors Valentinian I and Valens. The Roman thermal bath is still preserved underground, along with several other Roman buildings located near the center of today's Vinkovci. The 4th century Battle of Cibalae, between the armies of Constantine the Great and Licinius, was fought nearby.