Strata Diocletiana

The Strata Diocletiana (Latin for Diocletian road ) was a fortified commercial and military road that runs along the eastern Roman Empire's border - the Limes Arabicus - ran from the late ancient military camp Sura on the Euphrates through the desert steppe and important border cities like Resafa, Palmyra, Damascus and Bosra with his legion camp association. South of Bosra can be the road to pursue over the Diocletian also legion camp bed Horus up to northeast Arabia.

Today's located in Syria and Jordan Road was built during the reign of Emperor Diocletian ( 284-305 ). The emperor at that time was in the provinces of Mesopotamia ( Mesopotamia ) and Syria build a dense network of fortifications. Also, the road system was back again repaired or supplemented by new highways. The Roman engineers used on some sections already existing lines. The construction of large water cisterns and milestones for easier orientation allowed for a more effective use of the stationed in the new forts frontier troops against the Bedouin tribes. At the same time sprang up along the route to water-rich places at a distance of marches - 20 Roman miles - mostly similarly constructed fortlets that the type of so-called Quadriburgia embodied in the rule, as well as many mauerumfriedete camp villages ( vici ). In particular, in the southern section also older fortlets were added to the system as the system of Deir el- Kahf severisch founded. Many ancient frontier fortifications are attested epigraphic among others by name using the established milestones along the road. In addition, the name Strata Diocletiana was repeatedly mentioned in inscriptions. In addition to the milestones and the late antique historian Prokop has handed the name. The monitoring system had next to a dense chain of small forts and watchtowers another legion camp and advanced outpost.

The work of Thomas Bauzou came to a revaluation of the term Strata Diocletiana. So limited him Bauzou not only on the Palmyrene space, but speculated that he might have only served as a designation for the body responsible for monitoring a road section troupe from Palmyra. The word strata would thus have been a firmly defined military term for a fortified border road. On the other hand Burdigalense is also spoken by the lying between Jerusalem and Bethlehem connecting road as strata for example in the itinerary incurred 333-334, where in the ancient historian Heinz E. Herzig not yet clear what the structural quality may have had a strata that time.