[Aesculapius in the valetudinarium, or: the hitherto existing interpretation of Roman military hospital is furthermore valid].

A certain architectural type of building which can be found in ancient Roman military camps has unanimously been identified as valetudinarium (military hospital). Scholars in medical history, ancient history and Roman archaeology followed this interpretation since 100 years. A recent study tried to change this point of view by quoting archaeological and epigraphical arguments (BAKER [2002]). In our article we want to show that this new theory is not proven. In the Roman legionary camp of the legio I Italica in Novae/Bulgaria there is right in the middle of the valetudinarium a sacred precint including votive inscriptions to Roman healing gods. The finds from Novae show--besides other archaeological arguments--that the traditional identification of the Roman valetudinarium is correct.