Cicero's BATHHOUSE is found after 2,000 years: Archaeologists discover the remains of the Roman statesman's sauna in the ancient sunken city of Baiae

Daily Mail​

20 hours ago

Archaeologists believe they have found a bathhouse that once belonged to the Roman lawyer and statesman Cicero.
The remains of the ancient baths were found beneath the water in the sunken city of Baiae, on the coast of the Bay of Naples.
Divers discovered an ornate mosaic 10 feet (three metres) below the waves, in an area which was once home to the harbour of Portus Julius.
This is the location where ancient sources claim Cicero had his villa, which slipped into the sea sometime around the fourth century AD.
Located 150 miles south of the capital, Baiae was once a thriving spa town where Rome's richest and most powerful citizens would come to escape the summer heat and enjoy the area's mineral-rich waters.
In a post on Facebook, the Phlegraean Fields Archaeological Park wrote: 'The hypothesis, currently being explored, is that we may be looking at the Baths of Cicero's villa, known from sources.'
The mosaic floor would have once sat on an advanced Roman heating system, turning the room into a sauna, or laconicum.
Archaeologists found that the network of tubes and pillars which pumped the hot air evenly through the bath was still intact after almost two millennia underwater.
Cicero (pictured) is remembered as Rome's greatest orator and lawyer, rising to prominence for his defence of the Roman Republic during the civil wars, which would give culminate in the assassination of Julius Caesar
Dating back to the second century BC, Baiae was already a popular holiday destination for the Roman elite, with the poet Livy praising the waters' healing properties.
By the first century BC, Baiae had become the ancient equivalent of Monte Carlo and was a renowned hub of pleasure and vice.
Characters such as Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Nero flocked to the town to flaunt their wealth, have affairs, and host decadent, non-stop parties.
Baiae was soon so synonymous with indulgence and sin that the poet Sextus Propertius described it as a 'vortex of luxury' and a 'harbour of vice'.
In one notorious episode, the mad emperor Caligula ordered a three-mile (5 km) floating bridge to be built so he could ride his horse across the bay.
However, the town began to sink beneath the water as a process called volcanic bradyseism, where volcanic activity causes the land to rise or fall, pushed the bay below sea level.
By the fourth century AD, much of the city was 13 to 20 feet (4-6 metres) underwater, leaving behind one of the country's best preserved archaeological parks.
Following its discovery in the 1940s, archaeologists have been slowly excavating more of the lost ruins of the Roman Empire's Sin City.
Dating back to the second century BC, Baiae was already a popular holiday destination for the Roman elite, with the poet Livy praising the waters' healing properties. It soon became the premier party destination for the Roman elite. Pictured: Artist's impression of Baiae
These mosaics would have once been the floor of a heating system used to pump air into a type of Roman sauna called a laconicum
Baiae: Rome's Sin City
Located 150 miles south of the capital, Baiae was the Roman Empire's premier party town.
Due to its sulfur-rich waters, the town had long been renowned as a spa location.
By the first century BC, Rome's political elite were making summer trips to the town to escape the heat and flaunt their wealth.
The town became synonymous with decadence, indulgence, and non-stop partying.
However, the same waters which made the town famous were its eventual downfall as volcanic activity plunged the city into the water.
In 2023, divers discovered an intact mosaic floor, supported by small brick pillars and surrounded by ceramic fragments.
The baths form part of a wider network of rooms, pools, and service corridors that served the Roman elite.
Having now completed their documentation of the site, archaeologists believe these are the remains of Cicero's long-lost villa.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, born in 106 BC, was a famous scholar and lawyer from the last days of the Roman Republic.
During his life, he vainly fought to uphold Rome's republican values as the city plunged into civil war from which the Empire would be born.
Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Cicero attempted to use Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, to hold onto power.
However, Octavian turned on Cicero and had him executed in December of 43 BC.
Contemporary sources note that Cicero had a villa in Baiae where he would holiday while not in Rome, but the exact location has since been lost to time.
Researchers called the work 'tantalising' but say that more investigation will be needed to say for certain whether this truly is Cicero's villa.
The researchers wrote: 'Of particular note are the ceramic materials recovered during the excavation—and currently being studied—which appear to offer important insights into both the construction and destruction of the site.
Work on restoring the bath complex, particularly the mosaic floors and fragments of paintings, will commence in the autumn.
A member of the research team added: 'The discovery not only highlights the daily life of the Roman elite but also enhances our understanding of the social and cultural structure of that era.'
Who was Cicero? Rome's greatest lawyer
Cicero is one of the most famous lawyers, philosophers, statesmen, and orators of the last days of the Roman Republic.
Cicero was born in 106 BC to a wealthy family in the Roman town of Arpinum.
He was highly educated and made his first appearance in the Roman courts at the age of 26.
His defence of a man falsely accused of parricide was so famous that he soon became well known for his legal skills.
In modern times, he is often remembered as Rome's greatest orator and the creator of what would become known as Ciceronian rhetoric.
Politically, he staunchly upheld the original values of the Roman Republic in the face of increasing political fragmentation.
Although he did not support the assassination of Julius Caesar, he had been staunchly opposed to Caesar's dictatorship.
Following the death of Caesar, Cicero attempted to ally himself with Caesar's adopted son Octavian.
However, Cicero badly underestimated Octavian's political brutality and soon found himself an enemy of the new emperor.
Perhaps due to his unfortunate remark that Octavian should be 'given praise, distinctions—and then be disposed of', his execution was called for.