Thermalism in the Roman Provinces : The Role of Medicinal Mineral Waters across the Empire

Abstract

Thermal establishments with mineral-medicinal waters represent a special case among Roman bath buildings, not only because of the adaptation of the space to the use of these waters for health issues, but also because of the infrastructures and engineering they developed, as well as for their function in the landscape.Thermalism in the Roman Provinces is focused on the role of thermal establishments with mineral-medicinal waters in the different territories of the Roman Empire, including their symbiosis with the landscape as well as the ways in which their construction was adapted to give greater comfort to those who came to take advantage of their health-giving properties. But, what was the role that these sites fulfilled in each province? Why was so much effort invested in the construction of these thermal complexes in the Roman period? What elements might inform us about the singularities of their construction in adapting to the characteristics of these waters?These and other questions are analysed through different thermal sites, with a particular focus on the origins of thermalism in Roman times. The monograph aims to deepen our understanding of the beginnings of these practices, to present new data and to promote knowledge of an extremely fragile archaeological and cultural heritage as a part of the history and development regions across the Mediterranean.