[The hospitalized legionnaire at the Rhine front at the outset of the Roman Principate].

The ground plans of the military hospitals in legionary fortresses up to the end of the 1st century AD are described. During that period the design of these valetudinaria was brought to maturity. Assuming that the interpretation as valetudinarium is correct, general requirements for hospitals allow evaluating the functionality and efficiency of these buildings. Especially water supply, heating, building hygiene, and living conditions in the wards are discussed. This approach on the one hand confirms the interpretation of these ground plans as those of valetudinaria, on the other hand it gives us a new realistic assessment of the conditions under which interns, nursing services and patients alike worked and lived in such a valetudinarium.