Baths of Trajan

The Baths of Trajan (Italian: Terme di Traiano) were a large place for people to relax and wash. They were called a thermae and were built in ancient Rome. The baths opened in July 109 when Trajan was the leader. They opened after a new water supply, the Aqua Traiana, was finished. The baths were important in Roman life. People went there to spend time together and enjoy different activities.

History

The Baths of Trajan were started by Emperor Domitian around 96 AD. They were built on the southern side of the Oppian Hill, just outside the main part of Rome but still inside its walls. The architect was Apollodorus of Damascus. People used these baths as a place to relax and meet others. Both men and women visited them until around the early 5th century.

Later, the baths were left empty. By the time the Ostrogoths attacked Rome in 537, the baths were not in use anymore because the water supply had been destroyed.

Location and site

The Baths of Trajan were built on the Oppian Hill, near the Esquiline Hill. Before this, the area was part of the Domus Aurea, a fancy home owned by Nero. After Nero passed away, other leaders used this place until a fire destroyed it in 104 AD. The old home was then used to create a strong base for the new baths.

The baths were arranged in a special way, not pointing exactly north to south like some other buildings. Experts think the builders did this to keep people warm and let in lots of sunshine.

Description

The Baths of Trajan were a very large place for bathing and relaxing in ancient Rome. They covered an area of about 330 by 340 metres, which was huge for that time.

The baths had a main entrance on the northeast side and a big curved area on the southwest side, which might have been used for sports and shows. Inside, the rooms were arranged in a special way. Visitors would start with a large open-air swimming pool called the natatio. Then they would move through warm and hot rooms, ending with a big cold room called the frigidarium, which had four cold pools in its corners. There were also underground passages and a large water storage area that could hold up to 8 million litres of water.

Later history

Over time, people sometimes confused the Baths of Trajan with the nearby Baths of Titus. Some even wondered if the Baths of Trajan really existed. But in the late 1800s, an archaeologist named Rodolfo Lanciani showed that they were a large, separate building.

The baths were taken apart over the years. Their stones were used by monks and builders for new projects. Even so, parts of the baths were still standing in the 1500s. Artists and architects studied the ruins. During this time, important statues like the famous Laocoön and His Sons were found close by.

"City fresco" and mosaics

In 1997, diggers found a big painted picture of a city. It was special because very few pictures like this have survived. They found it in a hidden hallway under the baths. We do not know if the picture shows a real city or an imagined one.

In 2011, a large mosaic was found in a room thought to be a Musaeum, a place for the goddesses of art. The mosaic showed Apollo, the god of music and light, and several muses, goddesses who inspire artists. Some pieces of the mosaic were missing because they had been used to build the baths. Another mosaic nearby showed people harvesting grapes.