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The Ancient Baths
of Baiae; Observations and
Inferences ( 3 of 3) |
by Julissa Mendez, Darren Peterson & Erna Schas Ital333, Prof. Barbara
Nucci, March 1999 As
we made our way north of the baths of Sosandra, we came upon the baths of
Mercury. The Temple of Echo, mistakenly called the "Temple of Mercury", is named
for the ominous acoustic effect that is a characteristic of the dome. It is an
impressive structure representing, what is thought to be, the oldest example of
a large dome.
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A Chronology
of
Events in Italy
60,000
BC - 1300 AD
1300
AD - 1998 AD |
| Dating
back to the beginning of the Augustan age, the dome is constructed using
wedge shaped blocks of tufa stone. The blocks are arranged in concentric
rings and cemented in place. The internal diameter of the dome is
just over 21 meters. At one time a natural spring flowed from a niche
in the western wall. Today, as a result of the sinking ground level caused
by the seismic phenomenon known as bradyseism, this niche is hidden
beneath the water which floods the temple.
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Beginning in the 1st century AD the typical
buildings associated with a Roman bath complex (apoditerium, calidarium,
tepidarium, frigidarium, massage rooms, etc.) were constructed around the
earlier buildings. The complex was almost certainly a public structure. |
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These facilities provided the Romans with three
kinds of pools; a frigidarium (with cold water), a topidarium (with warm
water), and a calidarium (with hot water). Adjacent to the pools
were elegantly decorated rooms used for relaxation. There were saunas,
massage rooms, places for exercising, sitting rooms, and reading rooms.
Also, the bath complexes had waiting areas for the slaves and the attendants
that maintained the facilities and serviced their masters. (Kebril
191)
The baths played an important roll in
the everyday life of the Roman people. They were not just a place
to bathe but they were also a place of relaxation, meditation and sometimes
a place where very important decisions would be made. Even though wealthy
Romans enjoyed the comfort of baths in their own homes, they would still
frequent the public baths. The public baths were an important
social center. They served as a meeting place for politicians, merchants
and intellectuals. (Kebril 191)
As the great Roman empire declined, so did
Baiae. It was later plundered by the Saracens in the 8th century
and then, because of the threat of malaria, was gradually deserted. <<
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