THE CITY OF ROMAN LEGIONARIES!

"Thamugadi (Timgad, Algeria) was designed to be home to 10,000 retired legionaries, but soon outgrew its original allocation. Eventually the city had a population of 60,000.
It was established on a plain at the foot of the Aurès Mountains in the interior of the Roman province of Numidia at an altitude of 1,270 meters (3,369 feet). Thamugadi was founded circa A.D. 100 under the Emperor Trajan. The city was laid out with typical Roman precision in the style of a military camp. Each side measured 355 meters (1,165 feet). The cardo maximus bisected the city on a north-south axis and the decumanus maximus divided the quadrants from east to west. Both the cardo and decumanus were lined with columns. A large public forum was situated in the center of the city where the two main avenues intersected. The Legionary veterans, probably from Legio III Augusta. The city prospered, especially under the Severan dynasty. Thamugadi flourished until it was sacked by invading Vandals in the 5th century.
Because of the remarkable state of preservation of the ruins and the unique example of Roman urban planning with clearly delineated grids, Timgad was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982."