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Roman control of Jordan and the purposes
of the Via Nova
 When did the Romans
build the Via Nova and why was it built at that time? For several hundred years prior
to the Roman incursion into the Transjordan, the region was
dominated by the Nabataeans – the people responsible for
building the magnificent and well-known tombs at Petra.
When the last Nabataean king, Rabbel II, died without an heir in 106 AD, the
Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117) added the Nabataean land to
Perea and the Decapolis cities already controlled by Rome, and
formed a new administrative district called Arabia Petraea.
Construction, or perhaps more accurately, reconstruction of a
military road on the older route of the king’s highway began
almost immediately. However the earliest milestones so far
identified date to between 111 and 114, some 5 to 8 years
after the Roman invasion. The milestone inscriptions, like
later historical accounts, declare that Trajan reduced Arabia
to 'provincial condition', redacta in formam provinciae.
[Photo  - 67 K] The gap between the Roman takeover and this
declaration is consistent with evidence from coins dating from
111 that state Arabia had been acquired rather than captured (adquisita
not capta). Some military action by the Romans was
probably required in 106, but the character and nature of the
acquisition are still debated by historians today – as are the
reason for the lack of milestone inscriptions before 111
describing the Roman annexation. In this regard, it is
important to note that inscriptions on milestones and coins
were two key advertising forms in a world that lacked most
modern forms of media. [Photo - 43 K] One suggestion for the delay is the theory
that Trajan made a decision to keep a Roman (military) presence
in Arabia for the foreseeable future at some point after the
initial annexation. If so, milestone inscriptions on the nearly
finished road would have been useful to advertise that decision.
Another theory is that Trajan deliberately waited until 111 to
make public declarations via inscriptions, coins, etc. because
he wanted to present the annexation as a fait accompli. In
either case, Trajan clearly wanted firm consolidation of this
new territory before he began his great campaign in 114-115
against the Parthians to the east. Equally clear is that
completion of the Via Nova was an important step in that
consolidation process.
 Why was the Via Nova important for the
Romans? With the completion of the Via Nova in about 114,
there was a “superhighway” running for about 400 km or 257
miles from the new provincial capital at Bostra, to Aila/Aquaba
on the gulf. This route was gradually garrisoned and fortified
with various legionary camps, forts, and watchtowers as
explained in the
Roman forts case study. This New Road became part of the larger trade and
travel system that linked all parts of eastern Roman Empire.
At its southern end at Aila it joined with other land and sea
routes that led to southern Arabia and Egypt. [Photo - 43 K] In the north, main branch roads led from Philadelphia
and Bostra to the Decapolis cities of Gerasa (Jerash),
Scythopolis (Beisan), Capitolias (Beit Ras), Damascus, and
elsewhere. These routes, in turn, connected with other major
Roman roads that linked Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, most
notably the Via Maris. [Photo - 103 K] Thus, the Via Nova became a vital part of both
the military and commercial control and administration of the
new Roman province. [Map - 41 K] |
