Marine archaeologists in the Gulf of Naples have unearthed an ancient Roman bathhouse believed to belong to legendary philosopher and orator Cicero. The structure was discovered in the ruins of Baiae, once a location of great decadence in Rome.
The bathhouse was first discovered in 2023 in Zone B of the Parco Archeologico Sommerso di Baia, Ancient Origins reported. It took experts nearly two years to fully map the location, a task which was just recently completed. Within the thermal baths, archaeologists uncovered a mosaic which remained nearly intact. It was supported for centuries by the ancient heating system, which allowed the warm air to circulate between floors and through pipes.
Parco Archeologico Campi Flegrei
Scientists speculate that the baths once belonged to famous philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero, who is recorded as having owned a villa in the vicinity of Baiae where the baths were unearthed. Baiae was known as a “hedonistic” destination, a “resort”-like city with a taste for debauchery that would rival modern party destinations. Some of the most famous faces of the day moved through the city, including Julius Caesar and Nero. Perhaps most notably, in 39 A.D., Caligula ordered a floating bridge built across the entire gulf.
Experts believe the newly unearthed bathhouse functioned as a Roman sauna. It was built with an innovative heating method called pilae which allowed for even, consistent air flow throughout the property. The interior mosaic has remained remarkably well intact thanks to the preservative powers of the underwater chamber in which it spent the past several thousand years. The facility is now set to undergo “intensive restoration efforts,” which will involve cleaning the floor on which the mosaic rests and preserving all of the remaining ceiling decorations. Researchers hope that further analysis will determine once and for all whether the bath complex belonged to Cicero.
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