DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6911#0104
72
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
considerable ranges of building ; in the eastern wing, the remains of the Laconi-
cum* are fully sufficient to indicate its original use. The room contiguous to it,
on the eastern side, seems to have been an Apodyterium; f and the one most
distant, on the western side, a cold bath ; as it was a very common practice among
the Romans to use the cold bath after the sudatory. Most of the rooms on the
west side, it is very probable, were appropriated to the use of the servants, as
they do not appear to have tessellated pavements, or other decorations. On the
north side of the great court were three large rooms, which, from the fragment?
of statues, marbles, and columns found there, appear to have been very highly
decorated; and from their size, it is probable, that they were either CEci, or
Exedrse.J
" The second, or inner court, had galleries on the north, east, and west sides :
that on the north side has an elegant tessellated pavement; and a fragment of one
remains in that on the east side. These galleries were clearly what the Romans
called Crypto-porticus, and the area inclosed within them might have been the
Atrium.§ The room, of which the great tessellated pavement remains, was, no
doubt, the Cavsedium Tetrastylon || of Vitruvius, and must have been extremely
magnificent; as there is great reason to imagine, from the elegance of the floor,
* The Laconicura, or, as it was sometimes called, assa or calida sudatio, was intended entirely for the purpose
of sweating ; it appears from Vitruvius that it was usually of a circular form, and adjoining to the tepidarium, or
warm bath.
t The Apodyterium was a sort of dressing-room, contiguous to the laconicum.
I The CEci, a large kind of saloons, sometimes square, and frequently with columns, were used for the pur-
poses of entertainment. Vitr. lib. xi. cap. v. et x. The Exedne were also large rooms of various forms, which
are supposed to have been furnished with seats, and used for conversation and disputations. Vitr. lib. v. cap xi.
§ There is reason to suppose, from several passages in the Roman writers, that the Atria were sometimes
open courts, surrounded by an open Porticus, or by a Crypto-porticus.
|| The Cavsedia, or Cava iEdia, appear to have been sometimes large halls, and sometimes open courts in the
interior of the house, communicating with several suites of rooms, and in many respects resembled the Atria.
Vitruvius describes the tetrastyle cavsedia thus : Tetrastyla sunt quae subjectis sub trabibus angularibus columnis,
et utilitatem trabibus, et firmitatem prsestant. Lib. vi. cap. iii. The following passage in the vEneid shows the
situation of the Cavasdium, and also that it was distinct from the Atrium, with which it has been sometimes
confounded.
Vestibulum ante ipsum primoque in limine Pyrrhus
Exultat.
-ingentem lato dedit ore fenestram.
Apparet domus intus, et atria longa patescunt.—
At Domus interior gemitu miseroque tumultu
Miscetur : penitusque cavse plangoribus aades
Fcemineis ululant :—
Lib. ii. V. 469, 482, &c.
ARCHITECTURAL ANTIQUITIES.
considerable ranges of building ; in the eastern wing, the remains of the Laconi-
cum* are fully sufficient to indicate its original use. The room contiguous to it,
on the eastern side, seems to have been an Apodyterium; f and the one most
distant, on the western side, a cold bath ; as it was a very common practice among
the Romans to use the cold bath after the sudatory. Most of the rooms on the
west side, it is very probable, were appropriated to the use of the servants, as
they do not appear to have tessellated pavements, or other decorations. On the
north side of the great court were three large rooms, which, from the fragment?
of statues, marbles, and columns found there, appear to have been very highly
decorated; and from their size, it is probable, that they were either CEci, or
Exedrse.J
" The second, or inner court, had galleries on the north, east, and west sides :
that on the north side has an elegant tessellated pavement; and a fragment of one
remains in that on the east side. These galleries were clearly what the Romans
called Crypto-porticus, and the area inclosed within them might have been the
Atrium.§ The room, of which the great tessellated pavement remains, was, no
doubt, the Cavsedium Tetrastylon || of Vitruvius, and must have been extremely
magnificent; as there is great reason to imagine, from the elegance of the floor,
* The Laconicura, or, as it was sometimes called, assa or calida sudatio, was intended entirely for the purpose
of sweating ; it appears from Vitruvius that it was usually of a circular form, and adjoining to the tepidarium, or
warm bath.
t The Apodyterium was a sort of dressing-room, contiguous to the laconicum.
I The CEci, a large kind of saloons, sometimes square, and frequently with columns, were used for the pur-
poses of entertainment. Vitr. lib. xi. cap. v. et x. The Exedne were also large rooms of various forms, which
are supposed to have been furnished with seats, and used for conversation and disputations. Vitr. lib. v. cap xi.
§ There is reason to suppose, from several passages in the Roman writers, that the Atria were sometimes
open courts, surrounded by an open Porticus, or by a Crypto-porticus.
|| The Cavsedia, or Cava iEdia, appear to have been sometimes large halls, and sometimes open courts in the
interior of the house, communicating with several suites of rooms, and in many respects resembled the Atria.
Vitruvius describes the tetrastyle cavsedia thus : Tetrastyla sunt quae subjectis sub trabibus angularibus columnis,
et utilitatem trabibus, et firmitatem prsestant. Lib. vi. cap. iii. The following passage in the vEneid shows the
situation of the Cavasdium, and also that it was distinct from the Atrium, with which it has been sometimes
confounded.
Vestibulum ante ipsum primoque in limine Pyrrhus
Exultat.
-ingentem lato dedit ore fenestram.
Apparet domus intus, et atria longa patescunt.—
At Domus interior gemitu miseroque tumultu
Miscetur : penitusque cavse plangoribus aades
Fcemineis ululant :—
Lib. ii. V. 469, 482, &c.