Pompey the Great conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC. This began a 675 year, almost continuous Roman dynasty despite frequent and sometimes devastating clashes. The city prospered, especially under Constantine I in the early 4th century and Justinian I in the mid-6th century. The Byzantine Period in Jerusalem ended in 614 after a conquest by the Sasanian Persians. Over time, this Cardo Maximus – the main Roman street through the city – was buried. The 6th century site, along with several Corinthian columns, was partially excavated in the Jewish Quarter in the late 1960s.
