BATHING IN THE ROMAN PROVINCE: LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BATHS IN MOESIA SUPERIOR

Keywords: Roman baths, Moesia Superior, hygiene and health, social activities, consumers

Abstract

There are approximately 40 Roman baths dating from the 1st to 4th century AD that have been discovered in the territory of Moesia Superior. Most of them were systematically investigated, while some were only indirectly confirmed, either by means of surveys or through epigraphic monuments. The presence and layout of the rooms in these baths points to the conclusion that most activities in the baths of Moesia Superior were similar to those in other parts of the Empire. However, the baths from this territory also show some peculiarities, setting them apart from other parts of the Roman Empire. Although insufficiently investigated and reported on, the portable archaeological finds point to a whole host of activities that were not connected with the bath’s essential function – hygiene and health. Musical instruments, styluses, board game accessories and spindle discs are just some of the objects that illustrate the activities in baths, suggesting that it is not enough to interpret these objects as places for maintaining hygiene, but as centres of social life, or, in the case of private baths, as places for rest and leisure.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Allison, M. P. 2006 Mapping for gender. Interpreting artefact distribution inside 1st- and 2nd- century A. D. forts in Roman Germany. Archaeological dialogues, 13/1, 1–20

Balsdon, J. P. V. D. Roman Women: Their History and Habits, New York: Barnes & Noble, 1963. Benoit, F. ʻThermaeʼ, in M. Edmond et E. Saglio (eds.), Dictionnaire des antiquités grecques et romaines: d'après les textes et les monuments, V, Paris: 1925, 214-219.

Bojović, D. ‘Rimske terme u parku na Studentskom trgu u Beogradu’, Godišnjak grada Beograda, XXIV, 1977, 5-20. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Bourdieu, P. Distinction: A Social Critique of Judgment of Taste, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 1984.

Brödner, E. Die Römischen Thermen und das Antike Badewesen: Eine Kulturhistorische Betrachtung, Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1983.

Cantarella, E. Pandora's Daughters: The Role and Status of Women in Greek and Roman Antiquity, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987.

Cermanović-Kuzmanović, A. ‘Nekoliko spomenika Tračkog konjanika iz naše zemlje i problem Tračkog herosa’, Starinar N.S. XIII-XIV, 1965, 113-124. (Serbian Cyrillic) Davis, D. D., ʻA Gramscian Analysis of Roman Bathing in the Provincesʼ, Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Tampa: University of South Florida, 2015. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5465 DeLaine, J. ʻIntroduction. Bathing and Societyʼ, in J. DeLaine and D. E. Johnson (eds.), Proceeding of the First International Conference on Roman Baths held at Bath, England 30 March - 4 April 1992, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Suppl. 37, Porthsmouth, Rhode Island: Thomson Shore, 1999, 7–16.

DeLaine, J. ʻRecent research on Roman Bathsʼ, Journal of Roman Archaeology, 1, 1988, 11-32.

DeLaine, J. The Baths of Caracalla: A Study In the Design, Construction, and Economics of Large-Scale Building Projects In Imperial Rome, Portsmouth, Rhode Island: Journal of Roman Archaeology, 1997. Fagan, G. G. ʻBathing for Health with Celsus and Pliny the Elderʼ, The Classical Quarterly, New Series, 56/1, 2006, 190–207. Fagan, G. G. ʻInterpreting the Evidence: Did Slaves Bathe at the Baths?ʼ, in J. DeLaine and D. E. Johnson (eds.), Proceeding of the First International Conference on Roman Baths held at Bath, England 30 March - 4 April 1992, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Suppl. 37, Porthsmouth, Rhode Island: Thomson Shore, 1999b, 25–34. Fagan, G. G. ʻSergius Orata: Inventor of the Hypocaust?ʼ, Phoenix, 50/1, 1996, 56–66. Fagan, G. G. ʻThe genesis of the Roman Public Bath: Recent Approaches and Future Directionsʼ, American Journal of Archaeology, 105, 2001, 403–426. Fagan, G. G. Bathing in Public in the Roman world, Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1999a.

Gavrilović, N. The cults of Hercules and Mercury in Upper Moesia from the first to the fourth century, Beograd: Arheološki institut, 2014.

Gavrilović, N. The marble group depicting drunken Dionysus with satyr from Mediana. In M. Vujović (ed.), Ante portam auream. Studia in honorem professoris Aleksandar Jovanović, Beograd: Filozofski fakultet, 2017, 193-203. Grethlein, J. ʻThe Poetics of the Bath in the Iliadʼ, Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 103, 2007, 25–49.

Gros, P. L'architecture romaine du début du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. à la fin du Haut-Empire 1. Les monuments publics, Paris: Picard. 1996. Henderson, T. ʻRoman Baths: An Alternate Mode of Viewing the Evidenceʼ, Past Imperfect, 13, 2007, 3–23.

Hingley, R. Globalizing Roman culture. Unity, diversity and empire, London: Routledge, 2005. Honoré, T. ʻScriptor Historiae Augustaeʼ, Journal of Roman Studies, 77, 1987, 156–176. Jacobelli, L. Le pitture erotiche delle Terme Suburbane di Pompei, Roma: L`Erma di Bretschneider, 1995.

Janković, A. M. 2009. Rimska kupatila Gornje Mezije, Nepublikovani master rad. Beograd: Filozofski fakultet, 2009.

Janković, A. M. ‘Rimske igre na tabli u Singidunumu i okolini’, Godišnjak grada Beograda, LV-LVI, 2010, 55-68. Janković, M. A. ʻThe social role of Roman baths in the province of Moesia Superiorʼ, in M. Zuchowska (ed.), Archaeology of Water Supply, BAR 2414, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2012, 27–39.

Janković, A. M. ‘Archaeology of Taste: Board and Dice Games of Moesia Superior’, in M.A. Janković & V.D. Mihajlović (eds.), Reflections of Roman Imperialisms, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2018, 236-263. Jeremić, G., Gojgić, A. Rimske terme u Čačku, Čačak: Narodni muzej, 2012. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Jordović, Č. ‘Rimske terme u selu Bace', in M. Vasić & D. Marinković (eds.), Prokuplje u praistoriji, antici i srednjem veku, Beograd – Prokuplje: Arheološki institut & Muzej Toplice, 1999, 197 – 199. (Serbian Cyrillic) Kähler, H. ʻTermeʼ Enciclopedia dell'arte antica, classica e orientale, VII, Roma: Instituto dell` Enciclopedia Italiana,1966, 715-719.

Karkopino, Ž. Rim u razdoblju najvišeg uspona Carstva, Zagreb: Naprijed, 1981. Kondić, V. ʻBalneum logora Dianaʼ, Đerdapske sveske, IV, 1987, 37-38. (Serbian Cyrillic) Kontokosta, A. H. ʻBuilding the Thermae Agrippae: Private Life, Public Space, and the Politics of Bathing in Early Imperial Romeʼ, American journal of Archaeology, 123/1, 2019, 45–77. Krencker, D. M. Die Trierer Kaiserthermen, Augsburg: B. Filser, 1929.

Lazić, M. 2001. ‘Terme u Nerodimlju kod Uroševca', in M. Lazić (ed.), VESTIGATIO VETVSTATIS Aleksandrini Cermanović-Kuzmanović, Beograd: Filozofski fakultet – Centar za arheološka istraživanja, 2001, 247-279. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Latković et al. 1979 Медијана. Ниш: Народни музеј (Serbian Cyrillic) Maréchal, S. ʻResearch on Roman bathing: old models and new ideasʼ, Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire, 90/1, 2012, 143–164.

Marić, D. M. ‘Kasnoantička kupatila u rudarskim domenima: Nova istraživanja na Goču', Zbornik narodnog muzeja XXIII-1, 2017, 283-312. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Markovich, M. ‘CIL III 6306 = 8153 (Singidunum) Revisited’, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, Bd. 56, 1984, 231-236. Marvin, M. ʻFreestanding sculptures from the Baths of Caracallaʼ, American Journal of Archaeology, 87, 1983, 347–384.

Milovanović, B. ‘Izveštaj sa sistematskih arheoloških iskopavanja lokaliteta Terme-Viminacijum 2004. godine', Arheološki pregled 2-3, 2005, 51-54. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Milošević, G. ‘Crkve u podnožju Hisara u Prokuplju', in M. Vasić & D. Marinković (eds.), Prokuplje u praistoriji, antici i srednjem veku, Beograd – Prokuplje: Arheološki institut & Muzej Toplice, 1999, 161 – 178. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Mirković, M. 'Viminacium et Margum'. Inscriptiones de la Moesia Superiour. Volume II, 1986, 103-104. Nielsen, I. ʻEarly provincial baths and their relations to early Italic bathsʼ in J. DeLaine and D. E. Johnson (eds.), Proceeding of the First International Conference on Roman Baths held at Bath, England 30 March - 4 April 1992, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Suppl. 37, Porthsmouth, Rhode Island: Thomson Shore, 1999, 35–43.

Nielsen, I. Thermae et Balnea. The Architecture and Cultural History of Roman Public Baths, I, Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 1993.

Parović-Pešikan, M. ‘Antička Ulpijana prema dosadašnjim istraživanjima', Starinar XXXII, 1981, 57-73. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Petković, S. ‘Archaeological Rescue Excavations at the site Davidovac – Gradište. Preliminary results’, In S. Perić & A. Bulatović (eds.), Archaeological investigations along the highway route E75 (2011-2014), Belgrade: Archaeological Institute, 2016, 301-350.

Petrović, P. Jovanović, S. Kulturno blago knjaževčkog kraja. Beograd: Arheološki institut & Narodni muzej Knjaževac, 1997. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Petrović, P. ‘Niš u antičko doba', In D. Milić (ed.) Istorija Niša I, Niš: Gradina i Prosveta, 1983. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Petrović, P. Brza palanka-Egeta. Đerdapske sveske III, 1987, 369 - 377. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Petrović, P. ‘Porečka reka, sabirni centar za snadbevanje rimskih trupa u Đerdapu', Starinar XXXIII-XXXIV,1984, 285-291. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Petrović, P. Vasić, M. ‘The Roman Frontier in Upper Moesia: Archaeological Investigations in the Iron Gate Area’, in P. Petrović (ed.), Roman Limes on the Middle and Lower Danube. Cahiers des Portes de Fer. Monographies 2, Belgrade: Archaeological Institute, 15-26.

Petrović, V. Filipović, V. 'The First Cohort of Cretans, a Roman Military Unit at Timacum Maius', Balcanica XLVI, 2015, 33-39. Ring, J. W. ʻWindows, Baths, and Solar Energy in the Roman Empireʼ, American Journal of Archaeology, 100/4, 1996, 717–724.

Ružić, M. ‘Istraživanja termi u jugoistočnom delu Romulijane od 1997. do 2002. godine’, Razvitak 211, 2003, 30-34. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Šaranović-Svetek, S. ‘Topografija i katalog rimskih koštanih predmeta iz Sirmijuma', Rad Vojvođanskih muzeja 31, 1989, 107-153. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Vasić, R. M. Milošević, G. Gavrilović, N. & Crnoglavac, V. Konstantinova vila u Medijani, Niš: Narodni Muzej, 2015. (Serbian Cyrillic)

Vasić, R. M. ‘Sculptures and the “Sanctuary of Aesculapius” in Mediana', Starinar LXVIII, 2018, 89-109.

Vasić, M. i Milošević, G. Mansio Idimum. Beograd: Arheološki Institut, 2000.

Veličković, М. ‘Vrela u Lisoviću. Rimsko naselje’, Starinar N.S. IX – X, 1957, 377 – 378. (Serbian Cyrillic) Ward, R. B. ʻWomen in Roman Bathsʼ, The Harvard Theological Review, 85/2, 1992, 125–147. Wissemann, M. ʻDas Personal des antiken römischen Badesʼ, Glotta, 62, 1984, 80–89.

Yegül, F. ‘Thermo-mineral complex at Baiae and De Balneis Puteolanis’, The Art Bulletin, 1996, Vol. 78.No. 1, 137-161.

Yegül, F. Bathing in the Roman World, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Yegül, F. Baths and bathing in classical Antiquity, New York: Architectural History Foundation and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1992.
Published
25. 12. 2019.
Section
Articles