Baths of Faustina

The Baths of Faustina were ancient Roman baths of Miletus in Asia Minor, present-day Turkey. Their ruins have been relatively well preserved.

History

They were built in the Roman period in the middle of the 2nd century AD. They were dedicated to the empress Faustina, wife of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Faustina herself visited Miletus in 164 and financed the construction of the baths. Marcus Aurelius also visited Asia Minor that same year, but apparently not Miletus itself.

It is assumed that the building was renovated in the 3rd century. Today, it is the largest and best preserved ruin of the archaeological site of Miletus and, together with the Theatre, one of the most prominent sites of the area.

Description

They were located near the theatre district, south of the Theatre and northeast of the Stadium. The building did not follow the city plan, but rather the shape of the coast. In the western part there was a palestra connected to the Stadium, whose size was approximately 62 × 64 m. They were surrounded by a single‑storey colonnade.

In the current building, in the eastern part of the complex, there was an apodyterium of basilica style about 80 m long, that is, a meeting and changing room, on the side of the palestra. It had 13 small chambers on each side. On the north side of the hall was the so‑called Hall of the Muses, which was dedicated to the cult of the emperor, and on the south side was the tepidarium. To the east of these were first three frigidaria, then two caldaria, the larger of which was the central hall of the baths and measured approximately 27.3 × 14.9 m; and two sudatoria. The heating rooms were located around the caldaria.

In the ruins several sculptures have been found. Among the most famous is the group of sculptures representing Apollo and the Muses, whose surviving parts are currently in the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul.