Public Baths and Bathing Habits in Late Antiquity: A Study of the Evidence from Italy, North Africa and Palestine A.D. 285-700

528 Pages·2020·10.446 MB·English

by  Sadi Maréchal

PUBLIC BATHS AND BATHING HABITS IN LATE ANTIQUITY
LATE ANTIQUE
ARCHAEOLOGY
(SUPPLEMENTARY SERIES)
MANAGING EDITOR
LUKE LAVAN
volume 6
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/laax
PUBLIC BATHS AND BATHING
HABITS IN LATE ANTIQUITY
A STUDY OF THE EVIDENCE FROM ITALY, NORTH AFRICA
AND PALESTINE A.D. 285–700
BY
SADI MARÉCHAL
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: The Schola Baths in Leptis Magna (Libya). ©Photo by Sadi Maréchal, June 2012.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Maréchal, Sadi, author.
Title: Public baths and bathing habits in late antiquity : a study of the
 evidence from Italy, North Africa and Palestine A.D. 285–700 / by Sadi
 Maréchal.
Other titles: study of the evidence from Italy, North Africa and Palestine
 A.D. 285–700
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2020. | Series: Late antique
 archaeology (supplementary series), 2352–5177 ; vol.6 | Includes
 bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019048147 | ISBN 9789004418721 (paperback) |
 ISBN 9789004419421 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Baths, Roman—Italy. | Baths, Roman—Africa, North. |
 Baths, Roman—Palestine. | Public baths—Italy. | Public baths—Africa,
 North. | Public baths—Palestine. | Bathing customs—History. |
 Rome—Antiquities.
Classification: LCC DG97 .M165 2020 | DDC 613/.410937—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019048147
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface.
ISSN 2352-5177
ISBN 978-90-04-41872-1 (paperback)
ISBN 978-90-04-41942-1 (e-book)
Copyright 2020 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Hes & De Graaf, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Rodopi,
Brill Sense, Hotei Publishing, mentis Verlag, Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh and Wilhelm Fink Verlag.
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In loving memory of my grandfather, Prof. Dr. Raymond Bogaert,
who was even more passionate about Antiquity than I am
…
To Nathalie
∵

Contents
Foreword xi
List of Illustrations xiii
Abbreviations xx
Key to the General Plans xxii
Introduction 1
Why Baths Again? 1
General Aims and Outline of the Research 1
Geographical Framework 2
Chronological Framework 3
Methodology and Sources 4
Baths and Bathing Approached from Different Angles 4
Evidence of Baths and Bathing 4
The Structure of the Book 6
Notes on Terminology 6
Geographical Terminology and Place Names 6
Chronological Terminology 8
Cultural and Religious Terminology 8
Personal Names 8
Bath-Related Terminology 8
Notes on Abbreviations 9
1 General Introduction to Roman Baths and Earlier Research on Late Antique Baths 10
General Introduction to Roman Baths and Bathing Habits 10
Pre-Roman Origins of Public Bathing 10
Italic Bathing Habits 11
Early Roman Bathhouse 12
Imperial Period Bathhouse 13
The Bathing Itinerary 19
Modern Typologies of the Plans 20
Technology of the Baths 20
Hypocaust 21
Wall Heating 23
The Functioning of the Heating System 24
Water Management of Baths 26
Water Supply 26
Waste Water Disposal 27
Decoration 27
Popularity of Bathhouses 28
Earlier Research on Late Antique Baths 30
Late Antique Baths in General Works on Roman Baths and Bathing 30
Late Antique Baths in Regional Studies 31
Specific Studies on Late Antique Baths 32
2 Written Evidence of Baths 34
Late Antique Literature 34
Methodology and Approach 34
4th c. Latin Authors 34
4th c. Greek Authors 42
5th c. Latin Authors 49
5th c. Greek Authors 54
5th c. Syriac Literature 57
viii Contents
6th c. Latin Authors 58
6th c. Greek Authors 61
6th c. Syriac Authors 66
7th c. Authors 67
Summarizing the Literary Attestations of Baths and Bathing Habits 68
Hammams in Early Medieval Arabic Literature 70
Legal Documents 71
Codex Theodosianus 71
Corpus Iuris Civilis 73
Ecumenical Councils and Synods 75
Summarizing the Legal Documents 75
Epigraphic Evidence 76
Methodological Problems and Approaches 76
Inscriptions of the Italian Peninsula 77
Inscriptions of North Africa 80
Inscriptions of Cyrenaica 85
Inscriptions of Palestina 85
Summarizing the Epigraphic Evidence 85
Papyrological Evidence 86
Introduction 86
Papyri 87
Summarizing the Papyrological Evidence 89
3 Archaeological Evidence 91
Introduction 91
Rome 91
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 91
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 95
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 95
Private Baths 101
Baths on the Forma Urbis Roma 102
The Evidence for Baths in the Written Sources 103
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 105
Ostia 110
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 110
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 112
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 113
Private Baths 128
Baths on the Isola Sacra 129
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 129
Cuicul 138
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 138
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 140
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 140
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 142
Thamugadi 143
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 143
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 145
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 145
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 148
Carthage 150
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 150
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 152
Contents ix
Continued Use or Abandonment of Existing Baths 152
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 155
Sufetula 157
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 157
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 158
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 160
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 160
Ptolemais 163
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 163
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 165
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 167
Private Baths 167
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 167
Scythopolis 168
Concise History of the Urban Fabric 168
Newly Built Late Antique Baths 170
Continued Use and Abandonment of Existing Baths 171
Baths in the Late Antique Urban Context 171
Archaeological Evidence of Early Hammams 175
North Africa and Cyrenaica 175
Egypt 175
Palestina 175
The Larger Middle Eastern Context 177
Summarizing the Archaeological Evidence of Early Hammams 180
4 Continuity and Change in Late Antique Public Baths and Bathing Habits 183
Architecture 183
Plans of the Baths 183
Size of the Baths 185
Rooms of the Baths 186
Construction Techniques and Building Materials 195
Decoration 196
Bath Technology 198
Hypocaust 198
Wall Heating 199
Furnaces 199
Water Supply 200
Waste Water Disposal 201
Public Baths and Their Contexts 202
Urban Contexts 202
Non-Urban Contexts 204
Secondary Use of Baths 204
Privatisation of the Bathing Habit? 206
The Church and the Baths 208
Decay or Continuity of Baths and Bathing Habits 210
Continuity in the 4th c. 210
Strong Regional Trends in the 5th c. 216
Difficulties in the 6th c. 218
Towards Medieval and Islamic Baths in the 7th c. 219
A Habit in Decline? 221
Epilogue—The Transition to the Hammams 223
General Concluding Remarks and Prospects for Future Research 225
x Contents
Appendix 1: Late Antique Inscriptions Mentioning Baths 227
Inscriptions from the Italian Peninsula 227
Inscriptions from North Africa 234
Inscriptions from Palestina 243
Appendix 2: Late Antique Papyri Mentioning Baths 244
Appendix 3: Lists of Late Antique Baths, Possible Baths and Continued Use of Baths 250
Gazetteer
Introduction 261
Baths in the Italian Peninsula, Sicily and Sardinia 263
New Construction 263
Possible Late Antique Baths 296
Villa Baths with a Possible Public Use 299
Continued Use and Abandonment of Imperial Period Baths during Late Antiquity 301
Baths in Roman North Africa 310
New Construction 310
Possible Late Antique Baths 345
Villa Baths with a Possible Public Use 345
Other Private Baths with Possible Public Access 348
Ecclesiastical Baths 349
Fortress Baths 354
Continued Use and Abandonment of Imperial Period Baths during Late Antiquity 356
Baths in Cyrenaica 382
New Construction 382
Possible Late Antique Baths 392
Fortress Baths 392
Continued Use and Abandonment of Imperial Period Baths during Late Antiquity 393
Baths in Egypt 394
New Construction 394
Possible Late Antique Baths 420
Other Private Baths with a Possible Public Use 421
Ecclesiastical Baths 422
Fortress Baths 422
Continued Use and Abandonment of Imperial Period Baths during Late Antiquity 426
Baths in Palestina 428
New Construction 428
Possible Late Antique Baths 446
Private Baths 449
Ecclesiastical Baths 450
Fortress Baths 451
Continued Use and Abandonment of Imperial Period Baths during Late Antiquity 452
Glossary 456
Bibliography 461
Primary Sources 461
Modern Sources 464
Indices 498
Ancient Sources 498
Themes 499
People 500
Places 501