1. Baths/gymnasia of Asia Minor and the history of research at the Vedius Gymnasium

The architectural type of the baths/gymnasia developed particularly in Asia Minor, where the complicated design of the imperial thermae was combined with the simple plan of the Greek gymnasium. This combination of athletic facilities and baths had already appeared in Italy. In Asia Minor, however, it gained a special character as architects adjusted the architectural tradition of the Greek gymnasium to the new creations. Most of the bath-gymnasium complexes found in Asia Minor date from the end of the 1st century and mainly to the 2nd century AD and their construction reflects a more general adoption of Roman customs, as the visit to the baths was considered part of the everyday life for the inhabitants in the cities of the Roman world.¹

Ephesus, the capital of the province of Asia, counted five bath-gymnasium complexes, among them the monumental complex of the Vedius Bath-Gymnasium (map. no. 106), which during the Imperial era was known as the «Gymnasium in Coressus ».² Excavations took place in 1927-1930 by the Austrian Archaeological Institute, under J. Keil and later by M. Theur and F. Miltner.³ In 2000 the archaeological research on the gymnasium was continued by the Austrian Archaeological Institute, aiming at the monument’s theoretical reconstruction, the clarification of the construction’s technical aspects, while emphasis was given to its historical and archaeological importance and the interpretation of the area.⁴

2. Location and Architectural Description

The Vedius Gymnasium (map. no. 106), is located on the north-western slope of Panyirdag, in the northern section of Ephesus next to the stadium (map. no. 104).⁵ The complex, measuring 135x75 m. has a symmetrical ground plan and its rooms were arranged on the same axis, with an E-W orientation, as it is often the case withthe Bath-Gymnasium complexes in Sardis and Aezani. The complex is divided in two sections; the palaestra, situated on the eastern side and the bath block, which occupied the complex’s western facilities. Between the two sections there were spacious, oblong auxiliary halls, which functioned as an insulation zone .

The main entrance was situated in the complex’s north side. A square propylon (vestibulum) with niches on the side walls lead to the rectangular palaestra (2). Next to the propylon lies the latrine (16), a structure 17 m. long which contained an anteroom and a courtyard, surrounded by colonnades.⁶

The palaestra’s open courtyard, measuring 40x50, was defined by porticos, necessary for the protection of the athletes from bad weather. The western side contained an exedra with aedicular décor (3). On its facade, which was oriented towards the palaestra’s central courtyard, was a colonnade rather than a continuous wall. The walls of the hall’s interior bore lavish architectural and sculptural decoration, while the western wall contained a semi-circular niche where the statue of Antoninus Pius would have been placed. In front of this niche there was a small altar. Statues, such as that of Androclos, hero founder of Ephesos, Dionysus and Asclepius, as well as a copy of Diskobolus, (Discus-thrower), of Myron, come from the statuary programme of the interior decoration.⁷ This large aedicular hall possibly served the imperial cult.⁸

The imperial hall was flanked by two smaller square chambers, accessible from the palaestra, which functioned as anterooms and communicated with an oblong hall (4). This gallery (ambulacrum) constituted the dividing zone between the palaestra and the bath block and functioned possibly as a spacious meeting place and a changing room (apodyterium). It occupied half the length of the bath facilities and represents an H-shapedlayout. Projecting piers supported arches, while the hall was covered by a barrel vault. It is notable, that the architectural solution of pillars as supports of the vaulted ceiling is one of the characteristic architectural features of the Baths in Asia Minor.⁹

The thermal facilities occupy the complex’s western section. The organization of the cold (frigidarium) and heated halls (tepidarium, caldarium) is symmetrical and uniform. More particularly, they are arranged in zones with two or more rooms flanking a central area. This arrangement is repeated throughout the bath facilities and served the building’s function.

A rectangular hall (5) contained a large unheated pool (natatio frigida),¹⁰ which was decorated with statues of river-gods,¹¹ and two side auxiliary chambers. The hall’s architectural form, with a central pool occupying almost the entire area of the interior space, was yet another typical characteristic of baths in Asia minor found in similar bathing establishments in Ephesus (the Harbour Baths and the East Gymnasium), in Sardis and Ankara.¹²

The rectangular hall with the pool communicated to the west with two oblong halls, identified possibly as changing rooms (6). These halls flanked a central square area, which also housed two pools for cold bathing (frigidarium) (7) to the north and south. The central hall offered access to the tepidarium (10), a room for warm bath, which functioned as the spatial transition from the cold to the hot washing rooms or the opposite, and the sudatoria (14), two smaller sweat chambers on either side. The tepidarium communicated with the heated halls, which were situated on the building’s western side taking full advantage of the natural light and the sun’s heat during the afternoon hours.

The heated facilities contained the caldarium (12), the rectangular main hot room, which was situated in the centre, and four auxiliary side rooms, two to the north and two to the south. The caldarium contained projecting piers. This architectural type of caldarium with projecting piers is also a characteristic of other baths in Asia Minor such as the Harbour Baths in Ephesus, the Baths in Sardis, in Alexandria Troas and in Caunus.¹³ The heated zone of the bath was heated by hypocausts, a type of under-floor heating system and by clay tubes in the core of the walls.¹⁴