SOME FEATURES OF ROMAN FORTS 69 



camp,28 and further, that "it was noted by experienced 

 officers that no general had ever shown more judgment in 

 choosing suitable positions, and that not a single fort 

 established by Agricola was either stormed by the enemy 

 or abandoned by capitulation or flight." ^9 The position 

 of Melandra (a good idea of its strategical position may be 

 obtained by viewing it from Mottram churchyard) would 

 not seem to be wanting in any of the points named as 

 essential by Vegetius, viz., "abundance of wood, food and 

 water;" 3° nor will those who have spent many hours at 

 Melandra deny that the other condition laid down by 

 Vegetius is fulfilled : " Et si diutius comvioranduTn sit, 

 loci saluhritas eligetur." 



Of the main streets that crossed the forts at right 

 angles, we have only so far found the roads that always 

 connected the gates, but these are in an excellent state of 

 preservation. The central position of the street known 

 as the Via Principalis is a feature in which Melandra 

 resembles Gellygaer, and possibly Brough; in the 

 Hyginian camp, and in most of the other British forts (so 

 far as I have been able to discover), this main street is 

 pushed further forward; in the Polybian camp it lay, of 

 course, much farther back. 



Turning now to the buildings within the enclosure, the 

 one structure which unfailingly appears in all the forts is 

 fortunately well shown at Melandra. Its plan is, more- 

 over, of a fairly normal, though simple, type. The cor- 

 responding structure at Brough presents some unusual 

 features; and its further excavation by the Derbyshire 

 Archaeological Society will be awaited with interest. It is 

 just possible that part of the Headquarters Building at 



28. Tac. Agric, xx. 



29. lb. xxii. 



30. Veget. De re milit. L, 22. 



