Roman Roads: The New Way of Trajan

Daniel Hoffman Lee University

PHOTO GALLERY OF SITES AND FEATURES ALONG THE VIA NOVA

In addition to the military sites on the Via Nova or those linked to it by branch roads (e.g. Bostra, Lejjun, Udruh, Aila; see the Roman forts case study), several other major cities were linked together by the road. Good resources on most of these sites are available from numerous sites on the web (see those listed in the “related links” section of this study). However, here is a brief photo gallery of sites starting with Damascus in the north and going to Petra in the south to illustrate pictorially the importance and diversity of the sites linked by this ancient Roman road:

• Damascus, remains from the Roman Temple of Jupiter near the place where the road came into the city from Bostra to the south.

• Damascus, major modern intersection to the south of the Roman Temple remains

• Roman Road at Jerash

• Another section of Roman road at Jerash

• Amman (Philadelphia), Roman theater near city center

• Amman (Philadelphia), Interior Roman theater

• Closeup of milestone with Trajan inscription in the Wadi Mujib

• Karak (Carachmoba), with the modern road in the valley following the route of the Via Nova

• Another preserved milestone from the Via Nova not far from the Wadi Hesa in the modern town of Umm Zabayir with Dr. Hoffman providing scale

• Excavated branch of the Via Nova Roman road at Petra; John Wineland photograph
   

• Roman Roads
  • Purposes and Kinds of Roman Roads
  • Selection of Routes
  • Building the Roads
• Trajan and the Via Nova
  • Sources of Information about the New Way or Via Nova of Trajan in Jordan
  • Earlier Roads and Routes in Jordan
  • Roman Control of Jordan and the Purposes of the Via Nova
  • The Decline of the Via Nova
• Photo Gallery of Sites and Features Along the Via Nova
• Summary