Editing Amman (section)

===Roman period===
[[File:Temple of Hercules - Amman citadel.jpg|thumb|[[Amman Citadel#Great Temple ("Temple of Hercules")|Great Temple ("Temple of Hercules")]] at the [[Amman Citadel]] (Jabal Al-Qalaa)]]
[[File:Amman Amphitheater 03.JPG|thumb|right|The [[Roman theater (Amman)|Roman Theatre]], built around AD 100, and the modern [[Hashemite Plaza]]]]

The [[Roman Empire|Romans]] conquered much of the [[Levant]] in 63 BC, inaugurating a [[Timeline of Palestine region#Roman period|period of imperial rule conducted from Rome]] that lasted for four centuries. In the northern parts of modern-day Jordan, the Greek cities of [[Philadelphia (Amman)|Philadelphia]] (Amman), [[Jerash|Gerasa]], [[Umm Qays|Gedara]], [[Pella]] and [[Irbid|Arbila]] joined with other cities in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and southern parts of today's [[Syria]] to form the [[Decapolis|Decapolis League]], a confederation based on common economic and cultural interests<ref name= DOA>{{cite web |title= The History of a Land |publisher= Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Department of Antiquities (DoA) |url= http://www.doa.gov.jo/En/inside.php?src=sublinks&SlID=5024&MlID=8 |access-date=30 September 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150923215527/http://www.doa.gov.jo/En/inside.php?src=sublinks&SlID=5024&MlID=8 |archive-date= 23 September 2015 |url-status= dead}} See subsection [https://web.archive.org/web/20150923111729/http://www.doa.gov.jo/En/inside.php?src=sublinks&SlID=5034&MlID=5024 Roman Period 63 BC-324 AD].</ref> (see also [[Beit She'an|Scythopolis]], [[Hippos, Israel|Hippos]], [[Capitolias]], [[Qanawat|Canatha]] and [[Damascus]]). Philadelphia became a point along a road stretching from [[Aqaba|Ailah]] to Damascus that was built by Emperor [[Trajan]] in AD 106. This provided an economic boost for the city in a short period of time.<ref name= KH>{{cite web| url=http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism1.html| title=Touristic Sites - Amman | work=kinghussein.gov.jo| access-date=16 October 2015| archive-date=15 January 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115010437/http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism1.html| url-status=live}}</ref>

There are traces of Roman construction all across Jordan. In Amman the most conspicuous structures include the Great Temple (inaccurately known as the "Temple of Hercules") at the [[Amman Citadel]], the [[Roman theater (Amman)|Roman Theatre]], the [[Odeon theater (Amman)|Odeon]], and the [[Nymphaeum (Amman)|Nymphaeum]]. The two theaters and the [[nymphaeum]] fountain were built during the reign of Emperor [[Antoninus Pius]] around AD 161. The theatre was the larger venue of the two and had a capacity for 6,000 attendees. It was oriented north and built into the hillside, to protect the audience from the sun. To the northeast of the theatre was a small [[Odeon (building)|odeon]]. Built at roughly the same time as the theatre, the Odeon had 500 seats and is still in use today for music concerts. Archaeologists speculate that the structure was originally covered with a wooden roof to shield the audience from the weather. The Nymphaeum is situated southwest of the Odeon and served as Philadelphia's chief fountain. The Nymphaeum is believed to have contained a {{convert|600|m2|sp=us}} pool which was {{convert|3|m|sp=us}} deep and was continuously refilled with water.<ref name= KH/>