Baños y asentamientos militares romanos en Britannia

Abstract

Baths and roman military settlements in Britannia.Traditionally, the researches on buildings dedicated to baths have been closely connected with civil enviranments. The presence of theses buildings as sites for pleasure of military troops is significant. lt would erect into the fort, sometimes in the residence of commanding officer (Exeter, Caerleon), others in its environs: annexes (Rough Castle on Antonine Wall) or in adjacent vici (Chesterholm on Hadrian's Wall). The participation of military specialists in their construction show the existence
of a programme of fort-building. This can see in a standardized plan even for the baths as it occur in several forts placed on Hadrian's Wall. Sorne units have left their names stamped on bricks and tiles employed in the construction of baths (for exemple in the cases of the Legio VI or classis Britannica ). The activities realized by milites were basically relationed with personal hygiene, physical exercices and therapeutic purposes. The finds of strigiles in Caerleon testify theses activities. By last, the presence of civil people in the proximity of military forts and fortresses and the shared use of the baths underline the expansion of an habit across the Roman Empire and the cultural interactions of the several people that compase it.