the town is mentioned by ptolemy, writing in the reign of antoninus pius, under the name "noemagus biducassium" (for "*noviomagus badiocassium" 'new market of the badiocassi') and remained so until the time of the roman empire. the main street was already the heart of the city. two baths, under the church of st. lawrence and the post office in rue laitière, and a sculpted head of the goddess minerva have been found, attesting to the adoption of roman culture. in 1990 a closer examination of huge blocks discovered in the cathedral in the 19th century indicated the presence of an old roman building. bayeux was built on a crossroads between lisieux and valognes, developing first on the west bank of the river. by the end of the 3rd century a walled enclosure surrounded the city and remained until it was removed in the 18th century. its layout is still visible and can be followed today. the citadel of the city was located in the southwest corner and the cathedral the southeast. an important city in normandy, bayeux was part of the coastal defence of the roman empire against the pirates of the region, and a roman legion was stationed there.