The Baths of Decius (Latin: ''thermae Decianae'') were a

thermae In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...

(baths) complex built on the

Aventine Hill The Aventine Hill (; la, Collis Aventinus; it, Aventino ) is one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the modern twelfth ''rione'', or ward, of Rome. Location and boundaries The Aventine Hill is the sou ...

by the emperor

Decius Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius ( 201 ADJune 251 AD), sometimes translated as Trajan Decius or Decius, was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 249 to 251. A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was procla ...

in 249 or 252. Its site was between the present-day sites of the churches of Santo Alessio and

Santa Prisca Santa Prisca is a titular church of Rome, on the Aventine Hill, for Cardinal-priests. It is recorded as the ''Titulus Priscae'' in the acts of the 499 synod. Church It is devoted to Saint Prisca, a 1st-century martyr, whose relics are contai ...

, on the Vigna Torlonia, under piazza del Tempio di Diana (named after the Temple of Diana) and the Casale Maccharini Torlonia, which includes remains from the baths. Some other ruins of the baths also survive . Earlier buildings on the site have also left remains, which can be seen in the basement of the Casale Torlonia and under the piazza del Tempio di Diana. These buildings show something like '' opus quasi reticulatum'', with traces of a decorative scheme of painted stucco imitating marble in the Pompeian First Style, the oldest evidence of this style in Rome, dating to the last quarter of the 2nd century BC. Another building on the site is lavishly decorated with mosaics and wall-paintings showing masks, flowers and landscapes. It dates to the

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...

ic period and may have been the Privata Traiani, Trajan's private residence before he became emperor, which is known to have been in the area, or one of Decius' own residences. The main source for the appearance of the Baths of Decius is a plan made by

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...

, now in the

Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...

's collection.portfolio 15, pl. 81; LR fig. 210 The complex was 70 by 35 metres, including an apse belonging to an

aula The Canadian Aviation Regulations define two types of ultralight aircraft: basic ultra-light aeroplane (BULA), and advanced ultra-light aeroplane (AULA). Definition Regulation of ultra-light aircraft in Canada is covered by the Canadian A ...

at the southern corner. They were built to serve the wealthy and sophisticated inhabitants of the Aventine, unlike the nearby

Baths of Caracalla The Baths of Caracalla ( it, Terme di Caracalla) in Rome, Italy, were the city's second largest Ancient Rome, Roman public baths, or ''thermae'', after the Baths of Diocletian. The baths were likely built between AD 212 (or 211) and 216/217, durin ...

, which were larger but intended for mass use by the inhabitants of Regio XII. They were decorated with artworks, including an infant Hercules in green basalt and a sleeping Endymion, both now in the

Capitoline Museums The Capitoline Museums (Italian: ''Musei Capitolini'') are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Pala ...

. The complex is mentioned in several inscriptions which not only confirm its location but also give certain details on its history, such as its two restorations, once by

Constantius I Flavius Valerius Constantius "Chlorus" ( – 25 July 306), also called Constantius I, was Roman emperor from 305 to 306. He was one of the four original members of the Tetrarchy established by Diocletian, first serving as caesar from 293 t ...

Constantius II Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germani ...

and a second one in 414 under Honorius by Caecina Decius Acinatius Albinus following damage in Alaric's Sack of Rome.

References

Bibliography

*Samuel Ball Platner, A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome, rev. Thomas Ashby. Oxford: 1929
p. 526-527

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20150705202739/http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.com/ge/BT-004.html *http://www.maquettes-historiques.net/P23ua.html *https://sites.google.com/site/exploringrome/baths-of-decius *http://www.archeoroma.com/Aventino/terme_deciane_solo_testo.htm {{Coord, 41.8833, N, 12.4843, E, source:wikidata, display=title

Buildings and structures completed in the 3rd century Rome R. XII Ripa Decian dynasty

See also

References

Bibliography

External links