The orientation of the plan of Novaesium, a Roman fort on the Rhine

 Novaesium was a Roman fort on the Rhine, a fort which served for the campaigns of
Augustus and Drusus against Germans. The plan is the standard one of the Roman camps. Here we
discuss its orientation. It has its decumanus having, as far as we can see from archaeological
surveys, an azimuth of about 118 degrees. The fort has a perfect orientation "secundum naturam".
In the case that this castrum were oriented "secundum coelum", that is in the direction of the sunrise
on the day of its foundation, it could had been founded on November 13 or February 1 (Julian
dates). This second date is interesting, because it is coincident to the historical date of 30 January,
the birthday of Drusus’ mother and Augusts’ wife, Livia.