Trajan’s Baths
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The Baths of Trajan () were a massive ''thermae'', a bathing and leisure complex, built in
ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
and dedicated under
Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...
during the '' kalendae'' of July 109, shortly after the
Aqua Traiana The Aqua Traiana (later rebuilt and named the Acqua Paola) was a 1st-century Roman aqueduct built by Emperor Trajan and inaugurated in 109 AD. It channelled water from sources around Lake Bracciano, 40 km (25 mi) north-west of Rome, to a ...
was dedicated.


History

Commissioned by Emperor
Domitian Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...
starting from around 96 AD, the complex of baths occupied space on the southern side of the
Oppian Hill The Oppian Hill (Latin, ''Oppius Mons''; ) is the southern spur of the Esquiline Hill, one of the Seven hills of Rome, Italy. It is separated from the Cispius on the north by the valley of the Suburra, and from the Caelian Hill on the sout ...
on the outskirts of what was then the main developed area of the city, although still inside the boundary of the
Servian Wall The Servian Wall (; ) is an ancient Roman defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was built of volcanic tuff and was up to in height in places, wide at its base, long, and is believed to hav ...
. The architect of the complex is said to be
Apollodorus of Damascus Apollodorus of Damascus () was an architect and engineer from Roman Syria, who flourished during the 2nd century AD. As an engineer he authored several technical treatises, and his massive architectural output gained him immense popularity dur ...
. Early Christian writers were thought to have misnamed the remains the "Baths of Domitian" but this was shown to be a correct attribution for the emperor who began the project, even if Trajan completed the work. The baths were utilized mainly as a recreational and social center by Roman citizens, both men and women, as late as the early 5th century. The complex seems to have been deserted soon afterwards as a cemetery dated to the 5th century (which remained in use until the 7th century) has been found in front of the northeastern exedra. The baths were thus no longer in use at the time of the siege of Rome by the
Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths () were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Western Roman Empire, drawing upon the large Gothic populatio ...
in 537; with the destruction of the
Roman aqueducts The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported minin ...
, all ''thermae'' were abandoned, as was the whole of the now-waterless ''Mons Oppius''.


Location and site

The baths were erected on the
Oppian Hill The Oppian Hill (Latin, ''Oppius Mons''; ) is the southern spur of the Esquiline Hill, one of the Seven hills of Rome, Italy. It is separated from the Cispius on the north by the valley of the Suburra, and from the Caelian Hill on the sout ...
, a southern extension of the
Esquiline Hill The Esquiline Hill (; ; ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Its southernmost cusp is the ''Oppius'' ( Oppian Hill). Etymology The origin of the name ''Esquiline'' is still under much debate. One view is that the hill was named after the ...
. The lower slopes had been occupied by the Esquiline Wing of the ''
Domus Aurea The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped complex built by the Roman Empire, Emperor Nero largely on the Oppian Hill in the heart of ancient Rome after the Great Fire of Rome, great fire in 64 AD had destroyed a large part ...
'', an ornate residence belonging to
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
. After Nero's death, the residence on the Oppian remained in use by Emperors of the
Flavian dynasty The Flavian dynasty, lasting from 69 to 96 CE, was the second dynastic line of emperors to rule the Roman Empire following the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Julio-Claudians, encompassing the reigns of Vespasian and his two sons, Titus and Domitian. Th ...
, until it was destroyed in a fire in 104 AD. The Domus Aurea was used as a
cryptoporticus In Ancient Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural styl ...
to level the ground and support a platform built over it upon which the Baths were built. The complex rested on a northeast–southwest axis. This was off axis by about 30° with the Domus Aurea and the
Baths of Titus The Baths of Titus or ''Thermae Titi'' were public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gend ...
, both of which rested along the meridian line on a north–south axis. It is suggested that this unorthodox orientation was chosen by the architects to reduce the bathers' exposure to the wind, while also maximising exposure to the sun.


Description

The bath complex was immense by ancient Roman standards, covering an area of approximately 330 by 340 metres. The baths including the open area (which surrounded it on three sides) were enclosed by a perimeter wall, which joined with the bath block on the northeast side, where the main entrance was located. A huge apse projected out from the southwestern side of the platform, lined with seating, suggesting the area was used for athletic contests and performances. There were two smaller apses set within the corners of the northeast perimeter wall, flanking the bath block. These are thought to have contained monumental fountains. There were also
exedra An exedra (: exedras or exedrae) is a semicircular architecture, architectural recess or platform, sometimes crowned by a semi-dome, and either set into a building's façade or free-standing. The original Greek word ''ἐξέδρα'' ('a seat ou ...
e in the southwest and northwest corners of the enclosure wall, which may have housed libraries. The exedra in the southwest corner, with its two stories of niches, still survives. The plan of the baths broadly followed the prototype laid out in the neighbouring
Baths of Titus The Baths of Titus or ''Thermae Titi'' were public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gend ...
, constructed 29 years earlier, and would be replicated in the great Imperial baths of the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. The Baths of Titus, however, covered an area less than a third the size of those of Trajan. The main chambers were arranged in a sequence along a central axis from northeast to southwest ('' natatio''–''
frigidarium A ''frigidarium'' is one of the three main bath chambers of a Roman bath or ''thermae'', namely the cold room. It often contains a swimming pool. The succession of bathing activities in the ''thermae'' is not known with certainty, but it is tho ...
''–''
tepidarium The ''tepidarium'' was the warm (''tepidus'') bathroom of the thermae, Roman baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system. The speciality of a ''tepidarium'' is the pleasant feeling of constant radiant heat, which directly affects the ...
''–''
caldarium image:Caldarium.JPG, 230px, ''Caldarium'' from the Roman baths at Bath, Somerset, Bath, England. The floor has been removed to reveal the empty space where the hot air flowed through to heat the floor. A (also called a ''calidarium'', ''cella ca ...
''), and were flanked on either side by a network of rooms and open courts which were strictly symmetrical with one another. The visitor would have entered through a vestibule on the northeast side, and proceeded straight to the ''natatio'', a large open-air swimming pool surrounded by colonnades on all four sides. Next came either one of the identical flanking wings, where there was a rotunda each (possibly ''frigidaria'') followed by rectangular ''
palaestra A palaestra ( or ; also (chiefly British) palestra; ) was any site of a Greek wrestling school in antiquity. Events requiring little space, such as boxing and wrestling, occurred there. ''Palaistrai'' functioned both independently and as a part ...
e'', open courts used for wrestling and athletic exercises.Coarelli, 2014; p. 187 After proceeding through the side rooms, the true baths began with the ''caldarium'' (hot room) on the southwest side of the building. This rectangular room had an
apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
in each wall and projected forward from the main block to best absorb the hot afternoon sun. The rooms which flanked it on either side contained lesser hot rooms. Then came a small ''tepidarium'' (warm room), acting as a buffer between the larger cold and hot rooms. The largest chamber of all came next, the ''frigidarium'' (cold room). This functioned as the central hall of the entire building, where two different axes of rooms and open courts intersected. It was roofed by three
cross vault A groin vault or groined vault (also sometimes known as a double barrel vault or cross vault) is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. Honour, H. and J. Fleming, (2009) ''A World History of Art''. 7th edn. London: Lau ...
s supported on eight huge columns arranged along the walls. In its four corners were cold plunge baths. The bather would have completed the experience back where they began, with another swim in the ''natatio''. In addition to the facilities of the bath complex used by the public, there was a system of subterranean passageways and structures used by slaves and workers to service and maintain the facilities. Also underground, the massive
cistern A cistern (; , ; ) is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster. Cisterns are disti ...
, surviving today as The Seven Halls stored much of the water used in the baths, up to 8 million litres. The water may have been supplied by the
Aqua Traiana The Aqua Traiana (later rebuilt and named the Acqua Paola) was a 1st-century Roman aqueduct built by Emperor Trajan and inaugurated in 109 AD. It channelled water from sources around Lake Bracciano, 40 km (25 mi) north-west of Rome, to a ...
but, since it is unlikely to have crossed the Tiber, more likely by freed water from other aqueducts after the Traiana was built.


Later history

Although they were correctly known as the ''Thermae Traiani'' throughout the Middle Ages and much of the Renaissance, in the late sixteenth century the ruins of the Baths of Trajan were confused with the nearby
Baths of Titus The Baths of Titus or ''Thermae Titi'' were public baths Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gend ...
and became known as the ''Thermae Titiani''.Lanciani, 1897; p. 363-364 Doubt arose as to whether the Baths of Trajan had ever existed at all as an independent structure. Supporters of this theory argued that only the Baths of Titus stood on the Oppian, with the name of Trajan applied to them later because he undertook a restoration. Only in the late 19th century did the archaeologist
Rodolfo Lanciani Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani (1 January 1845 – 22 May 1929) was an Italian archaeologist, a pioneering student of ancient Roman topography. Among his many excavations was that of the House of the Vestals in the Roman Forum. Lanciani earned LL.D. ...
untangle the separate identities of the baths, establishing the Baths of Trajan as a much larger structure separate from the Baths of Titus.Richardson, 1992; p. 398 Several fragments of the
Forma Urbis The ''Forma Urbis Romae'' or Severan Marble Plan is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between AD 203 and 211. Matteo Cadario gives specific years of 205–208, noting that the map was based on ...
depict the plan of the Baths, one of which preserves three letters ("AIA") from the inscription identifying the complex as the "THERMAE TRAIANI". The Baths were slowly dismantled over the centuries, as the marble and brick were sold by the monks of
San Pietro in Vincoli San Pietro in Vincoli (; Saint Peter in Chains) is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy. The church is on the Oppian Hill near Cavour metro station, a short distance from the Colosseum. The name alludes to the Bibl ...
to stonemasons for re-use and burning into lime for mortar.Lanciani, 1897; p. 365 Large parts still remained standing at the beginning of the sixteenth century, when architects like
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 on ...
studied the ruins and were able to reconstruct the floorplan. Many works of art were unearthed in the vicinity of the Baths during the Renaissance, including the famous statuary group of ''
Laocoön and His Sons The statue of ''Laocoön and His Sons'', also called the Laocoön Group (), has been one of the most famous ancient sculptures since it was excavated in Rome in 1506 and put on public display in the Vatican Museums, where it remains today. The st ...
'', which was discovered in a hall underneath a vineyard in 1506, near the Seven Halls. The main building to which this hall belonged, presumably in the garden, is uncertain, but the ''Domus Aurea'' and the Baths of Trajan are both possibilities.


"City fresco" and mosaics

The archaeological excavations of 1997 also led to the discovery of a large (about 10 m2) frescoed bird's-eye view of a walled port city, a unique survivor of such a subject, in a buried gallery or
cryptoporticus In Ancient Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural styl ...
beneath the baths, which pre-dated their construction, but postdated Nero's ''Domus Aurea''. Whether it represents the reorganization of an actual port or an idealized one remains an open question. Additionally, the discovery of a 16 m
mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...
was announced in July 2011 in what is believed to be a
Musaeum The Mouseion of Alexandria (; ), which arguably included the Library of Alexandria, was an institution said to have been founded by Ptolemy I Soter and his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Originally, the word ''mouseion'' meant any place that w ...
, a place dedicated to the goddesses who inspire the creation of the arts, featuring a
nymphaeum A ''nymphaeum'' (Latin : ''nymphaea'') or ''nymphaion'' (), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument consecrated to the nymphs, especially those of springs. These monuments were originally natural grottoes, which tradition assigned as habit ...
(fountain room), which was buried to build the baths above. Part of the ''tesserae'' are missing, having been stripped by Trajan's workers and re-used in the new construction. Components of the mosaic identified to date include: *
Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
, the Greek god of music, poetry, prophecy, light, and healing, and "Leader of the
Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
s" *
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
s and columns decorated with garland plants * several muses. Also discovered nearby, another mosaic shows grape harvesting scenes.Apollo Mosaic Found in Rome Tunnel
, Rossella Lorenzi, 29 July 2011, discovery.com, accessed 21 September 2011


See also

* General overview *
Ancient Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often consi ...
*
Roman aqueducts The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported minin ...
*
Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often con ...
*
Roman engineering The ancient Romans were famous for their advanced engineering accomplishments. Technology for bringing running water into cities was developed in the east, but transformed by the Romans into a technology inconceivable in Greece. The architecture ...
Other baths *
List of Roman public baths This is a list of ancient Roman public baths (''thermae''). Urban baths Algeria * Timgad * Guelma (Calama) * Héliopolis, Algeria, Héliopolis * Hammam Meskoutine (Aquae Tibilitanae) * Hammam Righa (Aquae Calidae) * Hammam Essalih ...
Engineers *
Frontinus Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 40 – 103 AD) was a Roman civil engineer, author, soldier and senator of the late 1st century AD. He was a successful general under Domitian, commanding forces in Roman Britain, and on the Rhine and Danube frontier ...
*
Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...
Other *
List of Roman domes This is a list of Roman domes. The Romans were the first builders in the history of architecture The history of architecture traces the changes in architecture through various traditions, regions, overarching stylistic trends, and dates. ...
(half-domes) *
History of Roman and Byzantine domes Domes were a characteristic element of the architecture of Ancient Rome and of its medieval continuation, the Byzantine Empire. They had widespread influence on contemporary and later styles, from Russian and Ottoman architecture to the Italian ...


References


Sources

* * * *


External links


Baths of Trajan
article in Platner's ''Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baths Of Trajan Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century
Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...
Trajan Rome R. I Monti