LAMBESSA, the ancient Lambaesis, a village of Algeria, in the arrondissement of Batna and department of Constantine, 7 m. S.E. of Batna and 17 W. of Timgad. The modern village, the centre of an agricultural colony founded in 1848, is noteworthy for its great convict establishment (built about 1850). The re mains of the Roman town, and more especially of the Roman camp are among the most interesting ruins in northern Africa. They are now preserved by the Service des Monuments his toriques and excavations have resulted in many interesting dis coveries. The ruins are situated on the lower terraces of the Jebel Aures, and consist of triumphal arches (one to Septimius Severus, another to Commodus), temples, aqueducts, vestiges of an amphi theatre, baths and an immense quantity of masonry belonging to private houses. To the north and east lie extensive cemeteries with the stones standing in their original alignments; to the west is a similar area, from which the stones have been largely removed for building the modern village. Of the temple of Aesculapius only one column is standing, though in the middle of the 19th century its facade was entire. The capitol or temple dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, which has been cleared of debris, has a portico with eight columns.
On level ground about two-thirds of a mile from the centre of the ancient town stands the camp, its site now partly occupied by the penitentiary and its gardens. It measures 1,640 ft. north to south by 1,476 ft. east to west, and in the middle rise the ruins of a building commonly called, but incorrectly, the praetorium, which dates from A.D. 268 (92 ft. long by 66 ft. broad and 49 ft. high), its southern façade has a splendid peristyle half the height of the wall, consisting of a front row of massive Ionic columns and an engaged row of Corinthian pilasters. Behind this building (which was roofed) is a large court giving access to the arsenal and other buildings. In it have been found many thousands of projectiles. To the south-east are the remains of the baths. The
ruins of both city and camp have yielded many inscriptions (Renier edited 1,500, and there are 4,185 in the Corpus Inscr. Lat. vol. viii.) ; and, though a very large proportion are epitaphs of the barest kind, the more important pieces supply an outline of the history of the place. Over 2,500 inscriptions relating to the camp have been deciphered. In a museum in the village are inscriptions and statues; and fine mosaics found in 1905 near the arch of Septimius Severus.
Lambaesis was a military foundation. The camp of the third legion (Legio III. Augusta), to which it owes its origin, appears to have been established between A.D. 123 and 129, in the time of Hadrian, whose address to his soldiers was found inscribed on a pillar in a second camp to the west of the great camp still extant. By 166 mention is made of the decurions of a vicus, 10 curiae of which are known by name ; and the vicus became a municipium probably at the time when it was made the capital of the newly founded province of Numidia. The legion was removed by Gor dianus, but restored by Valerianus and Gallienus ; and its final departure did not take place till after 392. The town soon after wards declined. It never became the seat of a bishop, and no Christian inscriptions have been found among the ruins.
About 2 M. S. of Lambessa are the ruins of Markuna, the ancient Verecunda, including two triumphal arches.