The Baths of Caracalla, or Terme Antoninas, were public baths situated in central Rome. They were completed circa 217 AD under the government of Emperor Caracalla.
Beneath the Baths of Caracalla runs a maze of passageways and rooms, a network of galleries and streets wide enough to take vehicles transporting supplies for the smooth operation of the baths. A separate sub structure adjacent to these baths was later converted into a Mithraeum.
The primary function of a Mithraeum is a gathering space for the worshipers of Mithras, a persian God who was part of religion popular in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The religion heavily focused on secret rituals thus the building required multiple spaces for various activities.
A Mithraeum was usually constructed within or below an existing public building or a natural cave. They were constructed below ground to allow crowds of people to worship in secret.
These structures were usually small and intimate, nevertheless, the Mithraeum below the baths of Caracalla one of the largest examples. The first room, uses a barrel vault system as its roof structure is supported by circular columns. It only contains a semicircular basin, and its …show more content…
A marble threshold leads you into the main “cave” or the spelaeum showcasing the largest room of the Mithraeum. Soaring above are four cross vaulted domes or groin vaults. The baths of Caracalla is one of the first examples of the highly innovative use of the complex groin vault. The groin vault design can direct stresses vertically down through its columns and is an intrinsically stronger design compared to the barrel vault. The strength of this vaulting system was required to withstand the heavy load of the baths and structures above. In the main room, behind the rows of square pillars, is a large aperture which cuts through the roof structure allowing the room to be flooded with
Beneath the Baths of Caracalla runs a maze of passageways and rooms, a network of galleries and streets wide enough to take vehicles transporting supplies for the smooth operation of the baths. A separate sub structure adjacent to these baths was later converted into a Mithraeum.
The primary function of a Mithraeum is a gathering space for the worshipers of Mithras, a persian God who was part of religion popular in the 3rd and 4th centuries. The religion heavily focused on secret rituals thus the building required multiple spaces for various activities.
A Mithraeum was usually constructed within or below an existing public building or a natural cave. They were constructed below ground to allow crowds of people to worship in secret.
These structures were usually small and intimate, nevertheless, the Mithraeum below the baths of Caracalla one of the largest examples. The first room, uses a barrel vault system as its roof structure is supported by circular columns. It only contains a semicircular basin, and its …show more content…
A marble threshold leads you into the main “cave” or the spelaeum showcasing the largest room of the Mithraeum. Soaring above are four cross vaulted domes or groin vaults. The baths of Caracalla is one of the first examples of the highly innovative use of the complex groin vault. The groin vault design can direct stresses vertically down through its columns and is an intrinsically stronger design compared to the barrel vault. The strength of this vaulting system was required to withstand the heavy load of the baths and structures above. In the main room, behind the rows of square pillars, is a large aperture which cuts through the roof structure allowing the room to be flooded with