Castellum Romain de Saalburg, 83–260

Porta Praetoria main gate of Castellum Saalburg im Taunus 83–260 a.d.

After 83 A.D. a small wooden castle was built on the site where Castellum Saalburg stands today. The small garrison of auxiliary soldiers was responsible for the patrol paths et wooden tours de guet along Limes Germanicus, the Roman border fortification which provided flank protection during the campaign against the Chatti tribes en Grande Germanie. By 135 A.D. the patrol paths were protected by a wooden palisade, stone tours de guet had replaced the earlier wooden towers, et le Saalburg had been enlarged to a cohort castle avec a garrison of 500 men. The walls were then constructed of stone et wood. The final expansion du Saalburg was completed at the beginning du 3e Siècle. Le Saalburg now had strong masonry walls avec two parallel fossés in front of them. The Limes border fortification had been strengthened by a fossé et talus immediately behind the palisade. The patrol path on the crown of the talus provided the soldiers a better view of the area in front of the palisade.

Border Castle at Limes Germanicus

Reconstruction of the Roman plasterwork

Detail of the plasterwork

Porta Principalis Sinistra– left gate

Frontal view of the left gate

View of the left castle wall et the patrol path dans le fossé

Corner of the left et rear castle walls

Rear castle wall

Porta Decumana– rear gate

Frontal view of the rear gate

Directions

Autobahn A5 Frankfurt-Basel
Exit Bad Homburg, north of Frankfurt am Main
Follow the signs au Saalburg

Garmin Points Tournants GPS	Latitude	Longitude	Élévation
Castellum Saalburg	-	-	-
Limes Germanicus at Saalburg	-	-	-
Castellum Zugmantel	N 50°11’26.0"	E008°12’09.3"	407 m
Tour de Guet Wp 3/15 at Zugmantel	N 50°11’33.9"	E008°12’09.9	405 m
Limes Germanicus at Zugmantel	N 50°11’33.9"	E008°12’09.9	400 m
Wachtposten Wp 3/18	N 50°11’27.5"	E008°13’37.8"	457 m
Wachtposten Wp 3/26	N 50°11’51.8"	E008°17’00.5"	354 m
GPS waypoints in WGS-84 format, taken avec a handheld GARMIN eTrex Summit Global Positioning System.

Around 260 A.D. the threat posed by the Alamanni tribes was such that le Limes de Haute Germanie could no longer be held. The border was moved back to the western shore of the Rhein river, et la Saalburg abandoné gradually fell into disrepair. It took nine years, from 1898 to 1907, to rebuild le Saalburg.

Questions Fréquents

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Campagnes, Batailles et Évènements de l’Antiquité