THERMAE DECIANAE
built by the Emperor Decius in 252 A.D. on the
Aventine (Cassiod. ad a. 252; Chron. min. ii. 147:
his consulibus (Gallo
et Volusiano) Decius Romae lavacra publica aedificavit quae suo nomine
appellari iussit;
Eutrop. ix. 4:
Romae lavacrum aedificavit; Chron. a.
354, i. 147:
hoc imperatore thermae Commodianae (an evident error
for Decianae)
dedicatae sunt; Not. Reg. XIII;
CIL xv. 7181: in
Aventino in domo Potiti v. c. ad Decianas; cf.
BC 1887, 266, 293;
1893,
240-241).
A partial plan of these thermae drawn by Palladio about 1600 was
found by Lanciani in the Devonshire collection (portfolio 15, pl. 81;
LR fig. 210), on which can be traced the outlines of the central hall,
the beginning of the caldarium, and the dressing and lounging rooms
on the sides, in the usual manner of the Roman baths. This main part
seems to have measured about 70 by 35 metres, which shows that the
whole complex of buildings was very large.
The site of the thermae was between the present churches of S. Alessio
and S. Prisca, in the Vigna Torlonia, and Palladio's plan corresponds
with the remains of foundation walls still existing under and around
the casino of the vigna. Excavations on this site since the seventeenth
century have resulted in the discovery of large halls with mosaic pavements and painted marble and stucco decoration (Bartoli, Mem. 125,
127, 129; Vacca, Mem. 90; Ficoroni, Mem. 22), of inscribed pedestals
of statues erected during the fourth century by prefects of the city
(
CIL vi. 1159, 1160, 1167, 1192 (?), 1651 (?), 1672;
BC 1878, 253-256;
DE ii. 1478); and of works of art such as the infant Hercules in basalt
and the relief of Endymion now in the Capitoline Museum (HF 807, 863;
Cap. 219, 275).
For these excavations and their literature, see
LS iii. 143-144; LR
544-546; Merlin 316-317, and especially App. Nos. 3, 6, 8, Ir, 12, 34, 37;
for the thermae in general, HJ 163-164; LF 34;
BC 1914, 348-349;
RE iv. 2269-2270.
