WiesbadenAquaeMattiacorumgrijs.gif </HEAD> <BODY background="../../../home/grijs.gif" LINK="#0000ff" VLINK="#800080"> <h1><em>Aquae Mattiacorum</em>-Wiesbaden, capital of the <em>civitas Mattiacorum </em> </h1> <p>See this text in <a href="wiesbadenaquaemattiacorum.htm"> <img src="../../../home/de.gif" width="16" height="16" border="0"></a></p> <h2><br> Foundation and structure</h2> <p>To judge from the evidence of a Roman milestone, the foundation of the <em>civitas Mattiacoru</em>m must predate 122 AD and is probably linked to the withdrawal of the military in the early 3<sup>rd</sup> century. The decisive element in the town’s development was the thermal springs, which were also used by the soldiers. The town’s development as a spa mostly took place in the 3<sup>rd</sup> century, although building activity continued into the 3<sup>rd</sup>. The use of bricks with military stamps attests the participation of the army in these building works. </p> <h2><br> Earlier Settlement</h2> <p>A fort existed on the Heidenberg around the middle of the 1<sup>st</sup> century, at the latest. An earlier military occupation in the Augustan period at the beginning of the century cannot be ruled out, but the camp may have been located elsewhere (perhaps in the area around the Martiusplatz). The latest fort (2.2 ha) was abandoned in the early 3<sup>rd</sup> century and grave stones of auxiliaries allow some conclusions to be drawn on the troops stationed here.<br> <a href="wiesbaden001_engl.htm"><br> <img src="wiesbaden001a.jpg" width="100" height="105" border="0"></a> Plan of the stone fort</p> <h2><br> The town and its structure</h2> <p>The known excavation tells us little about the shape and road network of the town, although the finds distribution suggests an area of about 20ha. The early civitas capital was not defended and the Heidenmauer wall, which remained incomplete, dates to the second half of the 4<sup>th</sup> century.<br> <a href="wiesbaden002_engl.htm"><br> <img src="wiesbaden002a.jpg" width="100" height="102" border="0"></a> Plan of the Roman sites</p> <h2><br> Public buildings and infrastructure</h2> <p>At least one inn or pump room and two baths were built in the vicinity of the Kochbrunnen (Kranzplatz). The large Kranzplatz baths were equipped with and connected to four pools (max. 14 x 7.5m), which were filled with water from the hot spring, as were several smaller tubs. The building history is unclear. A central building might have been built in the late 1<sup>st</sup> century AD, then extended in the 3<sup>rd</sup> and bricks with legionary stamps document military involvement in the building. In the immediate vicinity of these baths was a further building contains several small rooms flanking a large internal courtyard. It dates to the 3<sup>rd</sup> century and is interpreted as an inn or pump room. Another bath, which is only partially known and contained a basin and a hypocausted room, has been located to the north of the large thermae.</p> <table width="85%" border="0"> <tr> <td width="51%"><div align="center"> <a href="wiesbaden003_engl.htm"> <img src="wiesbaden003a.jpg" width="100" height="133" border="0"> </a> </div></td> <td width="49%"><div align="center"> <a href="wiesbaden004_engl.htm"> <img src="wiesbaden004a.jpg" width="100" height="101" border="0"> </a> </div></td> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center">Roman baths and mansio at the Kranzplatz</div></td> <td><div align="center">Plan of the large baths at the Kranzplatz</div></td> </tr> </table> <p>Little is known about the baths in the Schützenhofstrasse, although the few traces of walling suggest a large complex.<br> <a href="wiesbaden005_engl.htm"><br> <img src="wiesbaden005a.jpg" width="100" height="104" border="0"></a> Roman walling in the Schützenstraße</p> <p>A round structure (diam. 14 m) is known with three adjoining long rectangular buildings and a small apsed building. Its function is unknown function is for, although it has been identified as a sweat bath, no evidence for heating could be identified. <br> <a href="wiesbaden006_engl.htm"><br> <img src="wiesbaden006a.jpg" width="100" height="91" border="0"></a> Plan of the Roman building complex near the Kaiser-Freidrich-Bad</p> <p>A 3<sup>rd</sup> century AD <em>mithraeum</em> has been found on the Coulinstraße. It was partially cut into the living rock and had an anteroom opening into a cult room with platforms along the sides.<br> <a href="wiesbaden007_engl.htm"><br> <img src="wiesbaden007a.jpg" width="100" height="124" border="0"> </a> Plan and section of the <em>mithraeum</em></p> <h2><br> Residential buildings </h2> <table width="100%" border="0"> <tr> <td width="32%" rowspan="2" valign="top">The residential buildings are poorly understood. Some ground plans are known from one larger excavation (Langgasse 5-9) and in the southern area two long, rectangular timber buildings were found (L.12.2m). These date to the late 1<sup>st</sup> and early 3<sup>rd</sup> century AD and, immediately to the north, several rooms with wooden partitions, from a probably later stone structure were documented.</td> <td width="31%"><div align="center"><a href="wiesbaden008_engl.htm"> <img src="wiesbaden008a.jpg" width="100" height="152" border="0"></a></div></td> <td width="21%" rowspan="2" valign="top">Because of the swampy ground in the southern part of the town (Mauritiusstraße, Mauritiusplatz), the Roman houses were constructed on timber posts and only these pilings survive.</td> <td width="16%"><div align="center"><a href="wiesbaden009_engl.htm"> <img src="wiesbaden009a.jpg" width="100" height="63" border="0"></a></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="51"> <div align="center">Roman buildings (Langgasse 5-9)</div></td> <td><div align="center">Reconstruction of Roman houses on pilings</div></td> </tr> </table> <p>Text: Thomas Schmidts <br> </p> <h2> <br> Select bibliography</h2> <p>W. Czysz, Wiesbaden in der Römerzeit. (Stuttgart 1994).</p> <p>W. Czysz, Vom Römerbad zur Weltkurstadt. Geschichte der Wiesbadener heissen Quellen und Bäder. Schriften des Stadtarchivs Wiesbaden 7. (Wiesbaden 2000). </p> <p>M. Mattern, Die römischen Steindenkmäler des Stadtgebiets von Wiesbaden und der Limesstrecke zwischen Marienfels und Zugmantel. Corpus Signorum Imperii Romani, Deutschland II,11 (Mainz 1999).</p> <p>B. Pinsker, Die Kastelle der Römer auf dem Heidenberg in Wiesbaden. Nassauische Annalen 106, 1995, S. 17-59.</p> <p>E. Ritterling, Das Kastell Wiesbaden. Der obergermanisch-raetische Limes des Römerreiches (ORL) B 31 (1909).</p> <p>H. Schoppa. Aquae Mattiacae. Wiesbadens römische und alamannisch-merowingische Vergangenheit (Weisbaden 1974).</p> <p>H. G. Simon in: Die Römer in Hessen (Stuttgart 1982) 485-492.</p> </BODY> </HTML>