Mainz (; ; ) is the capital of the
state of
Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the capital of the
Electorate of Mainz at the time of the
Holy Roman Empire. In antiquity Mainz was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the
Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire; it was founded as a military post by the Romans in the late 1st century BC and became the provincial capital of
Germania Superior. The city is located on the river Rhine at its confluence with the
Main opposite
Wiesbaden, in the western part of the
Frankfurt Rhine-Main; in the modern age,
Frankfurt shares much of its regional importance.
