Berytus, Ancient Roman city ruins in Beirut, Lebanon.
Berytus is a Roman colony whose remains lie beneath present-day Beirut in Lebanon. Visitors can explore archaeological sites with columns, thermal baths, and foundations that reveal how people lived in the ancient settlement.
The Roman emperor Augustus founded the colony in 15 BCE and settled veterans from the Third and Fifth Macedonian legions here. The city grew into an important center for legal studies and later influenced the code of Emperor Justinian.
The law school of Berytus became the Roman Empire's foremost center of legal studies, contributing to the development of Justinian's legal code.
The archaeological sites are scattered across central Beirut and can often be combined with a walk through the city. Some foundations lie openly accessible in parks or between modern buildings and offer a direct look at ancient construction methods.
The city kept Latin as its main language until the fourth century as the only place in the Syro-Phoenician region to do so. While Greek dominated in neighboring cities, the Roman language remained alive here in daily life and administration.
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