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Decumanus Maximus

 
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In Roman city planning, a decumanus was an east-west-oriented road in a Roman
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
 city, castra
Castra

The Latin language word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position....
 (military camp), or colonia
Colonia (Roman)

A Roman colonia was originally a Roman Empire outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city....
. The main decumanus was the Decumanus Maximus, which normally connected the Porta Praetoria (in a military camp, closest to the enemy) to the Porta Decumana (away from the enemy).

This name comes from the fact that the via decumana or decimana (the tenth) separated the Tenth Cohort
Cohort

Cohort may refer to:* Cohort * Cohort , a group of proximate data and/or operations* Cohort , a group of subjects with a common defining characteristic ? typically age group...
 from the Ninth in the legionary encampment, in the same way as the via quintana separated the Fifth Cohort from the Sixth.

In the middle, or groma
Groma surveying

Sorry, no overview for this topic
, the Decumanus Maximus crosses the perpendicular Cardo
Cardo

In ancient Roman city planning, a cardo or cardus was a north-south-oriented street in cities, military camps, and Colonia e. Sometimes called the cardus maximus, the cardo served as the center of economic life....
 or Cardus Maximus, the primary north-south road that was the usual main street.






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In Roman city planning, a decumanus was an east-west-oriented road in a Roman
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
 city, castra
Castra

The Latin language word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position....
 (military camp), or colonia
Colonia (Roman)

A Roman colonia was originally a Roman Empire outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city....
. The main decumanus was the Decumanus Maximus, which normally connected the Porta Praetoria (in a military camp, closest to the enemy) to the Porta Decumana (away from the enemy).

This name comes from the fact that the via decumana or decimana (the tenth) separated the Tenth Cohort
Cohort

Cohort may refer to:* Cohort * Cohort , a group of proximate data and/or operations* Cohort , a group of subjects with a common defining characteristic ? typically age group...
 from the Ninth in the legionary encampment, in the same way as the via quintana separated the Fifth Cohort from the Sixth.

In the middle, or groma
Groma surveying

Sorry, no overview for this topic
, the Decumanus Maximus crosses the perpendicular Cardo
Cardo

In ancient Roman city planning, a cardo or cardus was a north-south-oriented street in cities, military camps, and Colonia e. Sometimes called the cardus maximus, the cardo served as the center of economic life....
 or Cardus Maximus, the primary north-south road that was the usual main street. The Forum
Forum (Roman)

The Forum was the public space in the middle of a Ancient Rome city.A gathering place of great social significance, it was often the scene of diverse activities, including political discussions, meetings, et cetera....
 is normally located close to this intersection of the Decumanus Maximus and the Cardus Maximus.

Examples

In the ancient Roman city of Barcino
Barcino

Barcino may refer to:*Barcelona, Spain - Barcino in Latin*Barcino, Poland...
 (present day Barcelona, Spain), the Decimus Maximus started at the Roman gate Placa Nova, which is the only Roman gate extant. In present day Croatia
Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
 within the city of Split
Split (city)

Split is the largest Dalmatian city, the second-largest urban centre in Croatia, and the seat of Split-Dalmatia County. The city is situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, more specifically the eastern Adriatic Sea, spreading over a central peninsula and its surroundings, with its metropolitan area including the many surrounding lit...
 is the UNESCO Roman monument, Diocletian's Palace
Diocletian's Palace

Diocletian's Palace is a building in Split , Croatia that was built by the emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD.Diocletian built the massive palace in preparation for his retirement on May 1, 305 AD....
. This city built by Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus , born Diocles and commonly known as Diocletian , was Roman Emperor from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305....
 exhibits the characteristic Roman orthogonal street system with the Decumanus Maximus connecting the west Silver Gate to the east Iron Gate. At the present day city of Umm Qais
Umm Qais

Umm Qais is a town in Jordan located on the site of the ruins Hellenistic-Roman Empire city of Gadara , . The town was also called Antiochia or Antiochia Semiramis and Seleucia....
, Jordan
Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba....
, the decumanus is extant running east-west for approximately one kilometre with its ancient flagstone
Flagstone

Flagstone, or flag, is a type of flat Rock , usually used for Sidewalk slabs, but also for making fences or roofing. It may also be used for making memorials or headstones in a cemetery....
s extant; the name of this Roman city is Gadara. Another fine example is the "strait street", Via Recta in Damascus
Damascus

Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is List of oldest continuously inhabited cities and its current population is estimated at about 4,000,000....
, which is 1.500 metres long, connecting the eastern and western gates.