Expert: Maria - 2/21/2008

Question
Dear Maria,  

My question is about the Baths of Caracalla.

Could you tell me if the brick wall by the present day visitor's entrance is  ancient.

I have an excellent book on Rome by Lucentini that talks about a brick wall erected in 236 A.D. by the baths.  The author goes on to say that the modern visitor's entrance goes through the right end of the brick wall.  

When my wife and I last visited Rome and toured these baths,  I did not realize that we  walked through that an ancient wall when we entered the site. The construction looked new. I was recently reading the text by Lucentini and became intrigued when the author mentioned this ancient wall.

I was just hoping that you could verify this for me.  I know it's a small detail, but very interesting to me.  Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Rich

Answer
Dear Rich,

as far as I know, being not an archaeologist, M. Lucentini  in his “La grande guida di Roma” is right, when he talks about a brick wall erected in 236 A.D, though  the baths of Caracalla(Latin, 'Thermae Antoninianae') on the Celian Hill which overlooks the Colosseum were begun by the emperor Septimius Severus in AD 206 and completed by his son, the emperor Caracalla, in 216 AD.

The commencement of the building has been fixed because the brick stamps with Geta's name not yet erased, which have been found in use in its construction, can only belong to the period between February 211 and February 212 AD(see below).

We know also that some porticoes connected with the baths were destroyed or damaged by fire, and repaired under the emperor Aurelian (270-275 AD) as well as there is evidence of restoration under Theodoric in the sixth century, even if  the use of the Thermae must have been rendered impossible when the aqueducts were cut by the Goths in 537 A.D.

I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you more, as this is not my specific field of expertise.

All the best,
Maria
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1-The baths of Caracalla were named in Latin “Thermae Antoninianae” just because the true name of this emperor was Antoninus, while Caracalla was his nickname which referred to the Gallic hooded tunic he habitually wore.
2- Geta was the younger son of the emperor Septimius Severus. His  rivalry with his older brother, Caracalla, culminated in Geta's murder less than a year after Severus' death in 211 AD.