Vetera
Vetera, also known as Castra Vetera, was a significant Roman military stronghold located near the confluence of the Rhine and Lippe rivers, in present-day Xanten, Germany. Established under Emperor Augustus before 12 BC, the site initially served as a legionary camp, known as Vetera I, and was later reconstructed multiple times by subsequent emperors, including Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. The stronghold was strategically important within the Lower German command and housed two legions at its peak. Vetera was besieged during the Gallo-German revolt in AD 69, resulting in the surrender and massacre of its garrison.
Following this event, a new camp (Vetera II) was constructed nearby, which remained in use until around AD 260/270. The area also included a civilian settlement known as Colonia Ulpia Trajana, established by Tiberius and promoted to colonial status by Trajan. This settlement featured a layout with significant structures, such as temples, baths, and an amphitheater, indicating a vibrant community. Archaeological excavations have revealed extensive details about the camp's design and infrastructure, showcasing the complexity of Roman military and civilian life in this region. The eventual decline and destruction of Vetera are believed to have occurred due to flooding in the early Middle Ages.
Vetera
Castra Vetera (Xanten)
A Roman stronghold near the lower course of the Rhenus (Rhine), opposite its confluence with the Luppia (Lippe). Under Augustus, before 12 BC, a camp (Vetera I) was established for a legion on the Fürstenberg hill near Birten—a mile and a half southwest of the Rhine, and a mile south of Xanten—forming part of the Lower German command, which was at first attached, for administrative purposes, to Gallia Belgica, and later became a separate province.
The camp was reconstructed by Tiberius, Claudius and Nero; these buildings, constructed of stone, housed two legions. In the Gallo-German revolt of AD 69 Vetera was besieged by the rebels; its garrison—after destroying the adjacent civilian quarter to prevent its employment as enemy cover—was starved into surrender and then massacred. The camp was subsequently reconstructed on a site a little to the northeast, nearer the Rhine (Vetera II), which accommodated one legion and remained under occupation until c 260/270; it may subsequently have been refortified by Julian the Apostate (361–63), when the region formed part of the province of Germania Secunda.
On the northwestern outskirts of the modern Xanten was a civilian settlement to which Tiberius, before AD 20, had transported the German tribe of the Sugambri from the other (east) bank of the Rhine. This settlement was promoted to colonial rank by Trajan (98–117), under the name of Colonia Ulpia Trajana, and received new buildings. It existed until the fourth or fifth century, when archaeological evidence points to a violent end.
The administrative headquarters (principia) of Vetera I, shared by both the legions that were in the camp at the time, has been revealed by excavations and air photography (employing a linear filter). The principia were flanked by the residences of the two legionary commanders (praetoria); these buildings (one of which is exceptionally well-preserved) were planned around a central court, with a large dining room and offices. The camp hospital (valetudinarium) possessed its own bathing establishment, a casualty reception center, and a room equipped with small hearths that may have been used for sterilizing instruments. The main street of the camp was colonnaded.
Vetera II was destroyed by the flooding of a branch of the Rhine in the early Middle Ages. Recent excavations have noted five main phases of timber construction of varying types, dating from Tiberius to Trajan. The Trajanic colony possessed a wall enclosing an area of two hundred and five acres and perforated by at least eight gates or doors. The layout of the town was regular, but not entirely symmetrical. Two temples have been located, in addition to large baths, an extensive wrestling school, warehouses, shops, an amphitheater, and riverside harbor installations.