The Antonine Baths at Carthage.

The Design and Layout of North Africa’s Largest Bath Complex.

May 21, 2008

The Baths of Antoninus Pius were a combination of style and Roman ingenuity.

The Antonine Bath Complex in Roman Carthage was unique. Built between 146 and 162AD, it was started in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian and completed under his successor Antoninus Pius after whom they were named.

What remains of the baths is fragmentary but substantial enough to give an impression of the complex’s sheer size and opulence in its heyday. Their unique construction also shows the adaptability of Roman design and engineering to the landscape.

Design of the Bath Complex

The baths were sited on the coast of Carthage and were supplied with water from the Borj Jedid cisterns. These were fed with water from the Zaghouan Mountains via aqueducts constructed by the Emperor Hadrian.

This coastal setting was incorporated into the layout of the complex. An open air pool with sun terrace was constructed on the seaward side of the complex to make the most of the view. The sea itself was accessible from the baths via a grand staircase.

The baths had all the essential features of a Roman bathing complex. They were equipped with two sets of semi circular communal lavatories on the landward side as well as a palaestra for exercise. The bathing facilities were subdivided to cater for men and women separately. Tepidaria (warm rooms), caldaria (hot rooms) and a central frigidarium (cold room) were all present.

What made the baths stand out was their sheer scale. The central frigidarium was a vast domed structure of 22m x 47 m. The dome itself was supported by 8 fluted grey granite columns topped with marble capitals each weighing four tons. Besides the outdoor pools, there were a number indoors. The largest of these was the size of a modern Olympic swimming pool.

Unique Features of the Antonine Baths

What made the complex really unique was the way it was built. Because of the baths close proximity to the sea, particularly deep foundations were required. Therefore, it was not possible to site the service areas in the basement as would have been usual. Instead, the basement features: the hypocausts, water supply, store rooms and staff rooms were situated on the ground floor with the baths themselves on the upper floors.

The Archaeological Remains of the Antonine Baths.

Very little remains of the bath complex because of this unique design. The upper stories were lost when the basement roof collapsed sometime after the baths fell into misuse. Much of the ruined masonry was removed to be used in buildings elsewhere.

The only visible remains are of the basement. The furnaces can still be clearly identified. The storage areas for wood to heat the hypocaust also survive as do the earthenware pipes for the hot water. The sheer scale even of these limited remains hints at the enormity of the overall structure. As do the remaining fragments of carved and inscribed masonry that lie about the ruins.

Sources

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