| The building |
| Description and function |
To the west of the palaestra of the Terme del Foro (I,XII,6) and along the Cardo is a double row of large shops. To the east is a portico belonging to the palaestra, along the west facade is a brick portico. In the central part is a large staircase, accessible from the palaestra and the adjacent rooms. To the south are a large room and a communal latrine. In the room in the north-east corner a bar was installed. It could be entered from the north and east.
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| Date |
Built during the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD). The bar may have been installed in the third century. |
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Nrs. 396-398
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| Description |
The building contains many cornerstones. When stones are missing this is due to the state of preservation or the presence of modern masonry. On the other hand, many stones are in modern masonry and it is far from certain that these stones are ancient. We will begin the description with a few stones on the north side.
Nr. 396 is in room 2, in the east jamb of the north entrance, at mid-height. There is a square hole with metal in the inside (west side). The west jamb is modern. Nrs. 397 and 398 are in the passage to the east, fairly low in the west and east jamb.
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| Date |
The stones belong to the first building phase. |
| Measurements |
Meas., 396: starts at 1.59 from threshold; l. 0.29, w. 0.30, h. 0.19; meas. of hole: 0.04 x 0.04; 397: starts at 0.66; l. 0.29, w. 0.29, h. 0.27; 398: starts at 0.73; l. 0.32, w. 0.23, h. 0.25. |
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Nrs. 399-403
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| Description |
Much of the east facade is modern. Five stones have been preserved, at mid-height. Nrs. 399-400 are in the east entrance of corridor 11, in the north and south jamb. Nrs. 401-402 are in the east entrance of staircase 13, in the north and south jamb. Nr. 403 is in the east entrance of room 14, in the north jamb.
Possibly stones to the north: most of the masonry modern.
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| Date |
The stones belong to the first building phase. |
| Measurements |
Meas.: none taken. |
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Nrs. 404-415
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| Description |
In the facade of the shops on the west side are also single cornerstones at mid-height. On the plan only the first and last stones have been indicated.
Nr. 404, room 14, N jamb.
Nr. 405, room 12, S jamb.
Nr. 406, room 12, N jamb.
Nr. 407, room 11, S jamb.
Nr. 408, room 11, N jamb.
Nr. 409, room 9, S jamb.
Room 6, N jamb damaged; room 7, S jamb modern; room 7, N jamb, only lower part preserved; room 5, S jamb, only lower part preserved.
Nr. 410, room 5, N jamb.
Nr. 411, room 3, S jamb.
Nr. 412, room 3, N jamb.
Nr. 413, room 1, S entrance, S jamb.
Nr. 414, room 1, S entrance, N jamb.
Nr. 415, room 1, N entrance, S jamb.
Room 1, N entrance, N jamb, only lower part preserved.
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| Date |
The stones belong to the first building phase. |
| Measurements |
Meas.: starting at av. h. 1.67 from threshold; av. l. 0.37, av. w. 0.26, av. h. 0.19. |
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Nrs. 416-456
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| Description |
The portico on the west side has twelve piers, that have been numbered I-XII. With the exception of the south side of pier I, each pier has two cornerstones on the west side, on either side. One is low, the other at mid-height. On the plan only the first and last stones, and the stones with holes with metal have been indicated.
Pier I, S: no stones.
Nrs. 416-417 Pier II, N.
Nrs. 418-419 Pier II, S.
Nrs. 420-421 Pier III, N.
Nrs. 422-423 Pier III, S.
Nrs. 424-425 Pier IV, N.
Nr. 426 Pier IV, S: low only, upper part of pier not preserved.
Nrs. 427-428 Pier V, N.
Nrs. 429-430 Pier V, S.
Nrs. 431-432 Pier VI, N.
Nrs. 433-434 Pier VI, S.
Nrs. 435-436 Pier VII, N.
Nrs. 437-438 Pier VII, S.
Nrs. 439-440 Pier VIII, N. Rectangular hole with metal in low stone (0.045 x 0.065). An iron object (0.02 x 0.02) was fastened with a lead plug.
Nrs. 441-442 Pier VIII, S.
Nrs. 443-444 Pier IX, N.
Nrs. 445-446 Pier IX, S.
Nrs. 447-448 Pier X, N.
Nrs. 449-450 Pier X, S. Square hole with metal in low stone (0.05 x 0.05). An iron object (0.02 x 0.02) was fastened with a lead plug.
Nrs. 451-452 Pier XI, N. Square hole with metal in low stone (0.05 x 0.05).
Nrs. 453-454 Pier XI, S. Square hole with metal in low stone (0.04 x 0.04), stone damaged.
Nrs. 455-456 Pier XII, N. Square hole with metal in low stone (0.04 x 0.04), stone damaged.
The piers have travertine bases. In these bases and below the stones are vertical grooves, open at the top. In some of the low blocks are holes with metal. The holes are precisely above the groove.
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| Date |
The stones belong to the first building phase. |
| Measurements |
Meas.: low stone starting at av. h. 0.72 from the floor of the portico; av. h. 18; mid stones starting at av. h. 1.80 from floor of portico; av. h. 0.20. Meas. of grooves: appr. h. 0.45, w. 0.15, d. 0.11. The grooves in XI south and XII north are less wide, meas.: h. 0.37, w. 0.12, d. 0.11. |
| Remarks |
| Cf. the similar situation in Caseggiato I,XII,7. Here too a groove at the south end (also in an entrance leading to the palaestra of the Terme del Foro) is less wide than the other grooves. Many stones do not have holes. But many stones are in modern masonry and may not be ancient at all. The clue to the function of the combination of grooves and holes is found in the Terme del Bagnino Buticosus (I,XIV,8).
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Plan of the building. After SO I.
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