Theveste

Theveste became a veterans’ colony under Trajan, after the move of the Legio III Augusta to Lambaesis. Part of the ancient Roman city plan and some of the city's monuments are still visible in the modern settlement. The forum area, the theater, the amphitheater, and the aqueduct are clearly recognizable. The city was also adorned by fine buildings, such as the honorary arch of Caracalla, a Severan temple, and a large Christian quarter with a beautiful basilica of the fourth century ce . The importance of the Roman legionary base was connected with its strategic position. It was at the cross‐point of different natural ecosystems. The main purpose of the military base was the control, on the one hand, of the movement of people and goods between east and west, more precisely between the mountainous areas of the Aurès and the flat and dry lands of the Sahel. On the other hand, the settlement was also crucial for the exchange of communication and control along the north–south axis, between people coming from the northern urbanized areas of the province and nomads and traders from the southern caravan routes of the Sahara.

Ancient history · Aqueduct · Archaeology · Geography · Natural (archaeology) · Plan (archaeology) · Quarter (Canadian coin) · Settlement (finance) · History