The archaeological park of Baia stands out not only for the important remains of Roman civilization, but also for the beauty of the environment and landscape. You can see the Baths in a unique landscape, and with a view of the Golfo di Bacoli, where you can found a sort of “Roman Atlantis” that is a part of the ancient city of Baia, which was submerged by the sea.

History

The site is part of the “Parco archeologico dei Campi Flegrei”, that is located between Pozzuoli, Cuma and Capo Miseno. This area was appreciated for the beautiful landscape even in the ancient times.

In particular the ancient city of Baia (Baiae in Latin), was famous for its thermal water and was a place where ancient Romans loved to go on holiday, since the 2nd century B.C., where we can set the date of the most ancient archaeological remains. Then, in Baia where built many villae, where many important people and Emperors could practice otium, to escape the frenetic life in Rome.

The ancient Baiae. By Jean-Claude Golvin.

The city, according to Strabo, was named after Baio, who was the helmsman on Ullyses’ ship and was buried in that place. Many ancient writers, for example Ovidius and Cicero describe this city or write about facts happened there. The popularity of Baia lasted until the 5th Century A.D., when because of bradyseism, the area started to collapse progressively, and in the 7th Century A.D. part of the city and the ancient harbor was entirely submerged.

View of imperial complex in Baia. By Tyler Bell – View Of Imperial Complex, Baia, CC BY 2.0.

The Villa Dell’Ambulatio

The archaeological site includes different buildings and it is possible to found some relevant nucleus. The most ancient part (2nd century B.C.) is the “Villa dell’Ambulatio”, that was named after a covered colonnade that is part of the building.

The structures of the Villa are partly well kept and give the visitor a general idea of a typical Roman villa. The original structure dates back to the end of the 2nd, beginning of the 1st century B.C, but its actual aspect is generally dated to the 1st century A.D. for the building technique with opus reticolatum.

One of the rooms of the Villa – built in opus reticolatum. Photo by Michel Gybels.

Considered first as a great thermal bath, it was generically defined as a terraces complex because of the particular disposition of the structures on a series of artificial basements (basis villae) descending to the sea, according to a building technique typical of many Roman residences.

The hill with the Villa view before the excavations. Early 20th century. From the article “Alle origini di una difficile tutela: Amedeo Maiuri e i restauri al Parco archeologico delle Terme di Baia” by Luigi Veronese.

To visit the monument it’s best to start from the first terrace situated on the mountain, where the residential area is. Going up the north flight of stairs, one arrives to a series of sitting rooms, situated on the west side with floors in opus sectile or in mosaic and walls originally covered with marble. A great panoramic room, a nice peristyle and an apsidal room situated at the south extremity are visible.

The upper part of the Villa. Photo by Michel Gybels.

From the south flight one can go down to the second terrace occupied by the ambulatio. This terrace was the basement of the villa situated on the superior level and later was transformed in a covered portico, divided in two naves by a series of pillars connected with arches.

Arches connecting parts of the terrace. By Ra Boe / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Along the west side, centrally, a big room opens with a rectangular plan with exedra and three niches on the lateral walls. Along the portico various architectonic fragments are exposed, found in the waters of the port of Baia, and formed the marble decoration of some structures connected to the imperial Palatium of the Severi’s Age (3rd century A.D.)

Portico area with architectural details of the Villa. Photo by Michel Gybels.

Proceeding south, one goes down the stairs which surround the entire complex along the complete south side. After the two flights one enters on the left into the third terrace, actually occupied by a garden. Also this terrace can be considered as an ambulatio with pillars which supported the vault covering.

Continuing down the south stairs one arrives at the level of the fourth terrace, characterized by two parallel corridors above which a series of rooms opens, considered as an area for the service personnel.

Semi-circular structure at the base of the hill. Photo by Michel Gybels.

On the south stairs one can go down for two flights to arrive then at the level of the fifth terrace. On the left one enters directly in a room which is the first of a series of rooms all facing the sea. Along the west side the original wall of the basis villae is visible, constituted by an architectonic façade with blind arcades and half columns. Then it was included in the opposite rooms built later. There is also a rectangular room which is covered and floored with marble. Some flights led to the superior level, to enter other rooms, at north, which have been destroyed, and to go down to the last terrace.

Villa’ arcades. Photo by Michel Gybels.

The sixth terrace is made up of a wide open area, destined to be a garden, with a series of rooms on the south side, surrounded on the west by the long supporting wall of the upper level. Probably in a more ancient phase the garden was surrounded by a peristyle but a sure interpretation of this wide area is difficult because there have been a lot of work done in a successive age to search for underground thermal waters.

The lower part of the Villa. The dome of the Temple of Mercury can also be seen. Photo by Michel Gybels.

The decorations and the artifacts from this very interesting archaeological site are exposed in the  Museo dei Campi Flegrei, in Baia. There are also objects from the sites of Linternum, Miseno, Pozzuoli and Cuma. The Museum is located in the Aragonese Castle, build in the 16th century, which includes in its area remains of Julius Caesar’s villa.

Castello Aragonese (Baia). By Ra Boe / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Information boards on the site

“It is impossible for any good man to be born from me and this woman.”

The city of Baiae seems to have been one of the younger cities of Italy. A source from 178 B.C makes the earliest known reference to the city. Baiae takes its name from Baius, the Greek helmsman of Odysseus’s ship in Homer’s great epic poem. According to legend, Baius’s grave was near the city. By the end of the Republic, the city had become a popular resort town for Rome’s elite. Marius, Lucullus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar all maintained villas there, as did many of the Roman emperors. Baiae’s reputation was not only for opulence and luxury, but also depravity, promiscuity, and scandal. It was a particular favorite of the Emperor Nero. In 59 A.D., Nero plotted the murder of his mother, Agrippina the Younger, at Baiae. 

Five Good Years

Agrippina herself was hardly an innocent martyr, but rather cunning, ambitious, and ruthless. She was willing to do whatever it took for her family to hold power. Her only natural son was Nero, the product of her first marriage. She married the Emperor Claudius, her uncle, even though the people of Rome strongly disapproved of the incestuous match. She quickly began working against Britannicus, Claudius’s young son from a previous marriage.  Before long, Claudius supported Nero as the intended heir. Shortly after, when Nero was seventeen, Claudius died suddenly. Suspicion fell immediately on Agrippina, though unproven. The Praetorians hailed Nero as the new emperor. Though some wondered where Britannicus was, they accepted the candidate presented with little dissent.

Nero’s first years of rule went well. He seemed to be everything the Senate and people of Rome could wish. Nero honored his deceased uncle, delivering a eulogy penned by Seneca. He fulfilled his duty by humbly requesting that the Senate deify Claudius. In his speech to the Senate, he paid deference to their importance to government, distanced himself from several unpopular decisions, and praised the structure of the Republic. Flattered and pleased, the Senate ordered the speech inscribed on a silver column and read annually. Perhaps it was partly praise for the speech and partly a reminder to Nero of his promises. Nero did keep them, at least for those five years. He showed mercy to opponents, established strong colonies, and took on many civic projects. When the Senate offered him an official vote of thanks, he refused, saying “wait until I have earned them.”

Tensions Rise

Some of this early success might be the result of his advisors, Seneca, Burrus, and of course his mother. She shared space with Nero on coins minted in his honor, appearing as an equal and almost implying co-emperorship. The Senate forbade women to enter its halls; so Senators and government officials often met Nero at the palace. Agrippina could not directly participate, but stood at a doorway behind a small curtain, specially made for her use.  She was so comfortable with her place in Nero’s council that she almost disgraced him badly before foreign envoys. A group of Armenians had come before Nero to make a plea. Agrippina entered the hall and headed for her son’s dais, prepared to preside over the meeting with him. All froze, except for Seneca. Thinking quickly, he whispered to Nero to go down and meet his mother, and kindly re-direct her. 

They avoided causing insult, but the incident proved a turning point in the relationship between mother and son. Nero distanced himself from Agrippina, and Seneca and Burrus took over her role as his chief advisors. The resulting coolness created tension between them. It eventually escalated into an open fight, with Agrippina shouting abuse at her son, and declaring that Britannicus, her step-son, was the rightful and worthy heir to the throne. She threatened to use her influence to sway the Roman legions to support of Britannicus. It was an ironic shift of loyalty for Agrippina, who had greatly mistreated Britannicus when he was only a boy of around ten or twelve. She had practically imprisoned him in his own room and kept him from seeing his father. Nero obviously did not take the threat lightly, and arranged the poisoning of Britannicus. 

Murder at Baiae Bay

Nero became increasingly paranoid after the murder. Seneca and Burrus still tempered him some, but were most concerned with their own safety. Rightfully so, for eventually they were both implicated in plots. Seneca committed suicide rather than face execution by his former student. Without their steadying influence, Nero became even wilder, ordering many executions, including that of his wife, Octavia, sister of Britannicus. Eventually, he decided it was time to rid himself of the shadow of Agrippina. He went to his seaside villa at Baiae, and invited his mother to join him, feigning a desire for reconciliation. On the way into the bay, a convenient accident resulted in Agrippina’s boat being rammed, causing significant damage. After dinner, Nero offered her one of his vessels for the return journey to her coastal villa.

As the ship headed out into the bay on a tranquil sea, it suddenly collapsed from the top down. Inspired by a theater performance, Nero’s former tutor, Anicetus, had designed the ship for Nero’s plot. Yet Agrippina escaped the disintegrating vessel, swam ashore and made it to her villa. She realized the truth, but pretended not to, sending a messenger to innocently inform Nero of his mother’s safety. Nero framed the messenger, and sent Anicetus to finish the job. When he arrived, Agrippina knew why he had come. She leapt up, tore open the clothes over her stomach, and said “strike me in my womb, Anicetus, because this was what bore Nero.” Nero soon felt the guilt of his deed. He spent many sleepless nights, terrified of any noises coming from the direction of Agrippina’s tomb, and admitted that he felt forever pursued by her ghost. 

What to See Here?

As a result of coastal subsidence, the sea has reclaimed much of Baiae. Nevertheless, there remain excellent sites for the modern visitor to enjoy. The most prominent remains at Baiae are the three temples: The Temple of Mercury, the Temple of Venus, and the Temple of Diana. The Temple of Mercury is particularly prominent for example, as being an architectural miracle. This was once the largest dome in the world, prior to the Pantheon’s construction in the 2nd century A.D.

There are a number of bath buildings at Baiae, which would have been served with hot water by the natural springs in the area. The most prominent of these, the Baths of Venus, has ornate mosaic decoration still in situ. A section of the Aqua Augusta aqueduct still stands in the area, indicating how Baiae got its fresh water.  Archaeologists have recovered much statuary from the region, including both originals and copies of antiquity’s most famous statues. Some of these are on display in the local museum, whilst others are at museums further afield, including Naples.

To find out more: Timetravelrome.

This article was written for Time Travel Rome by Marian Vermeulen.

Sources: Cassius Dio, Roman History; Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews; Seneca, De Clementia; Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars; Tacitus, The Annals

Header Photo: Jan Styka – Nero at Baiae by Jan Stykais licensed under  CC0