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Antoine Thermal Baths – Carthage

The Antoine Thermal Baths in Carthage built between A.D. 146 and 162 in the reign of Emperor Antonius Pius were the third largest in the entire Roman Empire. The baths occupied an area of 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres). Eight colossal columns of gray granite with Corinthian capitals of white marble supported the central chamber which was approximately 50 meters (165feet) long by 20meters (65feet) wide. The baths proper were on the upper floors with a grand staircase leading down to the sea. Very little of the upper structures remain; however the lower halls and basement are extensive. For centuries these ruins were used as a quarry of building stones.

Carthage, a suburb of Tunis, is located in Tunisia on the northern coast of Africa overlooking the Southern Mediterranean Sea.

In very early Tunisian history (3,000 B.C.), the Sahara desert separated the Berber tribes from the ancestral Egyptians. Distinct cultural differences emerged between the two groups. While Egyptian communities developed in the fertile Nile Valley, Berbers were forced to live nomadic lives following food and water sources. The powerful Pharaohs of Egypt could have entered the region along the coast, but they focused on the upper Nile Valley and never attempted to extend their influence east or west. The remainder of the North African Coast developed its own civilizations as Phoenician and Greek settlers set up trading colonies.

During this era, the Carthage based Punic Empire grew powerful for a time, but after Hannibal was expelled, the civilization declined. Roman Soldiers destroyed Carthage in 146 B.C., but the Roman rule was undermined in turn after the emperors tried to suppress Christianity. Despite their efforts, Christianity spread across the empire including Northern Africa. By the 7th century, Christianity was replaced by Islam in the region. In the 16th century, the Ottomans invaded. They brought stability, prosperity, and unified the region. The Tunisian economy was also influenced by piracy. Bandit bases lined the Tunisian coast. Not until 1815, was this halted by an invasion of the U. S. Navy. In 1985, the mayors of Rome and Carthage signed a treaty officially ending the Punic Wars.