Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-hn9fh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-29T15:58:39.086Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Military Bath-houses in Britain — a Comment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2010

Louise Revell
Louise Revell
Affiliation:
University of Southampton, louise.revell@soton.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Bath-houses are a frequent part of Roman military installations in Britain. This work explores differences in the social meaning of bathing between legionary fortresses and auxiliary forts. It demonstrates variations in the scale of and investment in these facilities between the two groups. It also argues for greater complexity in the legionary bath-houses, with duplication of facilities, and more activities being catered for. A comparison of the proportion of space allocated for bathing and non-bathing activities reveals that the two groups respond to different ideas of what a visit to the bath-house entailed.

Keywords

Roman armyHadrian's Walllegionary fortressesRoman bath-housesRoman architectureRoman military life

Information

Type
Notes
Information
Britannia , Volume 38 , November 2007 , pp. 230 - 237
Copyright
Copyright © Louise Revell 2007. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allason-Jones, L. 2001: ‘Material culture and identity’, in James, S. and Millett, M. (eds), Britons and Romans: Advancing an Archaeological Agenda, CBA Research Report 125, York, 19–25Google Scholar
Baatz, D. 1973: ‘Romische Bader mit holzernen Apodyterien’, Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 3, 345–50Google Scholar
Bidwell, P.T. 1979: The Legionary Bath-house and Basilica and Forum at Exeter, ExeterGoogle Scholar
Bidwell, P.T. 1999: Hadrian's Wall, 1989–1999: a Summary of Recent Excavations and Research Prepared for the Twelfth Pilgrimage of Hadrian's Wall, 14–21 August 1999, CarlisleGoogle Scholar
Breeze, D. 1984: ‘The Roman fort on the Antonine Wall at Bearsden’, in Breeze, D. (ed.), Studies in Scottish Antiquity Presented to Stewart Cluden, Edinburgh, 32–68Google Scholar
Collingwood, R.G. 1928: ‘Hardknott Castle’, Trans. Cumberland & Westmorland Antiq. Arch. Soc. N.S. 28, 314–52Google Scholar
Daniels, C.M. 1959: ‘The Roman bath-house at Red House, Corbridge’, Arch. Ael.4 37, 85–176Google Scholar
DeLaine, J. 1988: ‘Recent research on Roman baths’, JRA 1, 11–32Google Scholar
DeLaine, J. 1992: ‘New models, old modes: continuity and change in the design of public baths’, in Schalles, H.J. and Zanker, P. (eds), Der römische Stadt im 2 Jahrhundert n. Chr. Der Funktionswandel des öffentlichen Raumes, Cologne, 257–75Google Scholar
DeLaine, J. 1999: ‘Baths – the urban phenomenon’, in DeLaine and Johnson 1999, 157–63Google Scholar
DeLaine, J. 1999: ‘Introduction: bathing and society’, in DeLaine and Johnson 1999, 7–16Google Scholar
DeLaine, J., and Johnson, D.E. (eds) 1999: Roman Baths and Bathing: Proceedings of the First International Conference on Roman Baths held at Bath, England, 30 March–4 April 1992, Rhode IslandGoogle Scholar
Fagan, G. 1999: Bathing in Public in the Roman World, Ann ArborCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillam, J.P., Jobey, I.M., et al. 1993: The Roman Bath-house at Bewcastle, Cumbria, StroudGoogle Scholar
Haynes, I.P. 1999: ‘Military service and cultural identity in the auxilia’, in Goldsworthy, A. and Haynes, I.P., The Roman Army as a Community, JRA Supp. Ser. 34, Portsmouth, R.I., 165–74Google Scholar
Henderson, C.G. 1999: ‘The design of the Neronian fortress baths at Exeter’, in DeLaine and Johnson 1999, 165–83Google Scholar
James, S. 1999: ‘The community of soldiers: a major identity and centre of power in the Roman Empire’, in Baker, P., Forcey, C., Jundi, S. and Witcher, R. (eds), TRAC98. Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference. Leicester 1998, Oxford, 14–25Google Scholar
James, S. 2001: ‘Soldiers and civilians: identity and interaction in Roman Britain’, in James, S. and Millett, M. (eds), Britons and Romans: Advancing an Archaeological Agenda, CBA Research Report 125, York, 77–89Google Scholar
Johnson, A. 1983: Roman Forts of the First and Second Centuries AD in Britain and the German Provinces, LondonGoogle Scholar
Laurence, R. 1994: Roman Pompeii: Space and Society, LondonCrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacDonald, G. 1931: ‘The bath-house at the fort of Chesters (Cilurnum)’, Arch. Ael.4 8, 219–304Google Scholar
Marvin, M. 1983: ‘Freestanding sculptures from the Baths of Caracalla’, AJA 87.3, 347–84CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, D.J.P. (ed.) 2005: Excavations at Chester: the Roman Fortress Baths. Excavation and Recording 1732–1998, Archaeological Service Excavation and Survey Report 13, ChesterGoogle Scholar
Nielsen, I. 1993: Thermae et balnea. The Architecture and Cultural History of Roman Public Baths, AarhusGoogle Scholar
Wilkes, J.J. 1999: ‘Approaching Roman baths’, in DeLaine and Johnson 1999, 17–23Google Scholar
Zienkiewicz, J.D. 1986: The Legionary Fortress Baths at Caerleon. Volume 1: the Buildings, CardiffGoogle Scholar