1. Introduction

The bathing complex is built between the country street running along the coast, and the sea. The area is full of public buildings, at the centre of the city of Anemourium. To the south, a city wall (ΙΙ 14 F) separated the complex from the exedra and Bath ΙΙ 11 Β. The city wall ΙΙΙ 3 F below the country road is contiguous to the complex on the west.¹ The north side of the bath includes some unidentified buildings (ΙΙΙ 4 Ε, ΙΙΙ 5 Α) as well as a structure with three conches (ΙΙΙ 6), probably of devotional character.² It is a bathing complex with a palaestra formed on the eastern side. The complex dates to the mid-3^rd century AD, according to the numismatic evidence. The layout of the bath’s ground plan, with an asymmetric arrangement of small- and medium-sized barrel-vaulted rooms, as well as the articulation of one of the building’s facades – the south one – with apses projecting to the south, is in accordance with the general features of Late Roman baths in the small provincial towns of Cilicia and eastern Pamphylia.³

Bath ΙΙΙ 2 Β belongs to the ring-type plan, since the entrance to the building gives access to only one hall, which starts a circular course for the visitor through the rooms of the bath. Another particularity of this complex concerning the ground plan and its facades is that the three hot chambers are arranged in a row,⁴ the two side ones with apsidal ends projecting to the south. The neighbouring Bath ΙΙ 11 Β as well as Bath 5 Β of Iotape also share these particular features. The bath was first excavated in the 1960’s; excavations were completed by a different archaeological mission in the 1970’s.

2. Architectural Description

The ground plan of Bath ΙΙΙ 2 Β is particularly interesting because it combines a the bath plan displaying parallel halls with projecting apses with a rectangular palaestra. The hot chambers (caldarium) were on the south of the complex, while the frigidarium, with a large pool, was on the north.⁵

Archaeological excavations revealed the arrangement of the chambers according to a north-south division. On the south there were the hot chambers, while on the north there were the cold ones. The main access to the complex was through a broad staircase from the public street to the east of the complex, which led to the palaestra.⁶ Τhe palaestra had a three-sided stylobate, while two mosaics with geometrical motifs adorned its floor. The central mosaic featured plain diagonal blue and white motifs, while the mosaic of the peripheral passage had more colours and more complicated motifs. The fourth side of the palaestra formed an oblong gallery vertical to the axis of the palaestra. It gave access to three chambers parallel to its longitudinal axis; the central of the three chambers served as a vestibule to the main bath.

Access to the entrance hall was through a triple opening defined by two columns or pillars. On the opposite wall and on the same level there were semicircular niches flanking an opening that led to the bath. A mosaic inscription reading “καλώς λούσαι” (have a nice wash) was at the entrance, while a second inscription reading “καλώς ελούσου” (you have washed well) was at the exit. The large rectangular apodyterium⁷ was to the north of the vestibule and was also adorned with mosaic pavements. The entrance to the baths led to chamber D, the frigidarium, which included a pool and a peripheral passage on its north side. Four small staircases were found inside the pool, one in each corner. On the east and on the west side of the pool, there were two semicircular niches facing each other. A colourful geometrical mosaic pavement adorned the south part of the chamber, where the visitors stood just before they entered the pool. After the frigidarium the bather would enter a second chamber including a smaller pool on the north (B). Τhe south part of the complex, the caldarium, included three hot barrel-vaulted chambers in a row (E, F, G) – a typical ground plan feature. The two side chambers (E, G) have an apse on the south; on each one three arched windows are opened. The central hall (F) had a large opening on its south wall. All rooms communicated with each other so that the bather could follow a circular course. Semicircular niches were opened on the longitudinal walls of the hot chambers (E, F).

The building material is mainly ashlar blocks with some tiles. Mudbricks were used for the niches, the arches and the window frames of room F. The walls of the building were probably plastered, as implies the presence of plaster on the external side of the apses of rooms E and G. As for the drainage system, a drain was found in the northwest corner of the frigidarium (D), which continued inside the chamber; another drain was found in the caldarium, in the apse of room E.

Bath ΙΙΙ 2 Β of Anemurium is today in a better condition than the neighbouring Bath ΙΙ 11 Β, as its walls have been preserved up to half the height of the vault and the conch of the apses.