Nida (Roman town)

Nida was an ancient Roman town in the area today occupied by the northwestern suburbs of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, specifically Frankfurt-Heddernheim, on the edge of the Wetterau region.

Here, the Rhine river area in the shape of the "Wetterau range" extended extensively into German territory.

From the legionary camp of Mogontiacum (modern-day Mainz) a series of fortresses were created, which made it safer for Roman units to march from the Rhine into the inner German territories.

The first traces of a temporary Roman civilian settlement (called vicus) date to the reign of Emperor Vespasian in the years 69 to 79 AD.

At its peak, during the peaceful 1st century AD, Nida probably had a population of 10,000 and was one of the biggest Roman settlements in the area enclosed by the limes.

Seven gates and interval towers are known...Immediately to the west of the fort two large buildings stood, linked by a common portico.

Four sanctuaries have been found, all in the form of mithraea.Thomas Schmidts[2]Nida was officially established as capital of "Civitas Taunensium" by emperor Trajan in 110 AD.

There have been three Mithraea (temples to Mithras) discovered at Nida:[4] a hoard of silver votive plaques was discovered in the Roman vicus in the nineteenth century, some of which are in the British Museum[5](the offerings appear to have been deposited in a shrine dedicated to the Roman God of Jupiter Dolichenus).

The remains of Nida survived for centuries afterwards and were visible in the so-called Heidenfeld ('heathens' field') near Heddernheim until at least the 15th century, when walls above ground began to be broken down to be used as building material by people from the nearby villages, so being saved from later construction work on the site of Nida.

[6] Extensive underground remains, with walls several metres high, were known to have survived untouched in the field and were subject of a few archaeological excavations, that found pottery, fibulas & statues[7] & a beautiful helm.

[10] Little remains of Nida above ground today: two pottery kilns, a well, and a little portion of the city walls with some doorsteps can be seen.