Thuburbo Majus

36.402559.9029944444444Koordinaten: 36 ° 24 ' 9 " N, 9 ° 54 ' 11 " O

Thuburbo Majus is an archaeological site from Roman times in what is now Tunisia.

Geography

The excavation site is located 61 km southwest of Tunis near the village of El Fahs. The ruins are approximately 200 m high on a hillside above the Oued Miliane.

History

A Punic and later Numidian settlement occupied from the 5th century BC, however, about their history nothing is known. The Romans laid in the year 27 BC by Emperor Augustus to the strategic place a colony, could be controlled by from the adjacent mountains and gave it the rights of a municipium. Due to its location on the major trade route between Carthage and Hadrametum and wheat and wine of the place took rapid recovery and received 128 AD under Hadrian the rank of civitas Between 150 and 250 the city reached its zenith, their wealth mainly in the trade between the inland and the coastal towns was based. The inhabitants moved to estimates 7000-12000 people.

188 Emperor Commodus granted the city officially the status of a colony named Colonia Julia Aurelia Commoda. Towards the end of the 3rd century declined their meaning. Emperor Constantine attempted a restoration of the still about 1,000 residents citywide. It came back to an upswing in the city now known as Res Publica Felix Thuburbo Majus. Its importance declined under the Vandals and the subsequent invasion of Arab warriors who spread Islam, to those of a village. The settlement was severely damaged by earthquakes. The French archaeologist Charles Tissot tore the place in 1857 oblivion.

The city was a bishop's seat. Four of its bishops are known:

• Sedatus, present at the Council of Carthage ( 256) References:
• Faustus, present at the Council of Arles ( 314)
• Cyprian, participated in the Conference of Churches of Carthage ( 411) with its competitor, the Donatists Rufinus, in part
• Benenatus, banished by Huneric ( 484 ).

The Catholic Church introduces a titular same name.

See also: Thuburbo minus

Monuments

Capitol

Center of the town is the square forum of 55 m side length, the three sides of a revolving portico of the Corinthian order is enclosed. The column shafts are made from the Greek, derived from the island of Euboea marble. The north side dominates the gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva consecrated Capitol. The temple was AD by order of the Proconsul of the Africa Province, Salbius Julianus built in the year 168. Four of the 10 Pillars of Prostyls could be raised again: They are 8.50 m high and have a base diameter of 85 cm. In the cella was a 7 m high statue of Jupiter, of which only the head and a foot could be found. This, like other valuable parts are now housed in the Bardo Museum in Tunis.

Mercury Temple

The god Mercury was consecrated on the southwest side of the forum, a circular temple surrounded by eight columns. The Roman buildings of unusual, circular ground plan reveals the Punic- Numidian influence that comes to light even when the lying south of the archaeological site of the temple of Baal.

Spas

In Thuburbo Majus there were two bathhouses. The so-called winter Baths were a large, consisting of 20 rooms facility, which one entered through a portico with Corinthian columns. The Frigidarium can still remnants of the once rich mosaic decoration recognize.

The even bigger summer Baths were in a depression. Nevertheless, it needed a 17 m deep wells to reach the water table. This also richly decorated Frigidarium had three cold-water pool and was decorated with statues of Asclepius, Hercules, Mercury and Venus.

Palaestra the Petronier

Right next to the thermal baths are the remains of the palaestra, a large competition space that is surrounded by a portico. He issued numerous marble pillars, sandstone capitals and part of the ornate with flowers and palmettes architrave are obtained. According to an inscription, the plant was founded in the year 225 of Petronius Felix and his sons. Under the rich features in the Bardo Museum is the well-known relief with the two dancing maenads.

Wilhelmina F. Jashemski dug here in the House of Bacchus and Ariadne from the gardens.