Ricerc@Sapienza

This paper aims at making preliminary considerations on thermo-mineral bath complexes in Asia Minor, where this typology of buildings until now was never analysed upon a comprehensive perspective. Even if the literary and epigraphic sources are not always detailed on this topic, they give us important clues in order to identify ancient thermal sites. But only archaeological data can help in reconstructing, whenever possible, their overall organisation, which differs in some aspects from the ‘traditional’ Roman baths.

The Roman temple at Elaiussa Sebaste (Cilicia) was recently excavated and the study of its architecture and architectural decoration is ongoing. The building may be considered an early example of Romanization in a region that was still autonomous and independent from the Roman empire: this part of Cilicia was actually under the rule of client kings (Archelaos of Cappadocia, Antiochos of Commagene) until the reign of Vespasian.

The article focuses on a dedication of a thiasos to the Emperor (Nero) and Dionysos. The association dedicated an artifact, maybe an altar, whose identity was probably indicated by the word in a lacuna of the text. The block on which the inscription is carved must have been an integral part of the object itself.

The study begins with the tradition concerning the presence of the Antenorids in Aquileia, which connects the important Adriatic centre to Dardania, in the north west of Asia Minor, a tradition attested not only in literary sources, but also by an inscription. Then it aims to define what kind of interests brought to Aquileia the more than twenty individuals of Anatolian origins attested through epigraphic evidence.