A spot in the sunken city of Baiae may have been where Cicero kept his private villa.
Archaeologists believe that they may finally have found the long-lost baths that once belonged to the renowned Roman statesman and writer Cicero. The recently spotted thermal complex is part of the underwater ruins of Baiae, a highly exclusive seaside resort town once favored by ancient Roman elites. Among its outstanding features is a fully intact mosaic floor and the sauna's original ancient heating system.
Forget Capri. Baiae was once the place to be and be seen on the Bay of Naples. The legendary spa town is so notorious for its carefree hedonism that it has even been dubbed the "Las Vegas of the Roman Empire." A long line of emperors, including Julius Cesar, Augustus, and Nero, kept villas there. No wonder, as 1st-century B.C.E. poet Sextus Propertius once described the site as "a vortex of luxury" and a "harbor of vice."
The baths now believed to belong to Cicero sit a mere 10 feet underwater in Zone B of the breathtaking Parco Archaeologico Sommerso di Baia. This is exactly the spot where, ancient sources suggest, the mighty orator kept his private villa. Though they were first spotted in 2023, it is only now that archaeologists have had time to fully document the find. In order to confirm this possible connection, researchers are busy studying recovered ceramic fragments to better understand their dating and usage.
Restoration efforts are also expected to commence this fall. The standout feature of the complex is its fully intact mosaic floor. This masterpiece will be thoroughly cleaned, removing mineral concretions formed over two millennia. Surviving traces of wall paintings will also be protected.
Underneath the mosaic is a masterful example of ancient engineering. The sauna that it decorated was kept warm thanks to a sophisticated heating system known as suspensura. The mosaic was supported by small brick pillars so that hot air could flow underground and through wall pipes, therefore spreading evenly across the floor.
Wealthy and powerful Romans, like Cicero, flocked to Baiae for the healing qualities of its waters, which were particularly sulfurous. By all accounts, they stayed for the luxury and excess. The town, complete with paved streets, surviving buildings, and even statues, was first discovered in the 1940s by pilot Raimondo Baucher. He spotted walls, columns, and roads while flying low over the sea one day. He was able to photograph the site but real archaeological excavation only began in the late 1950s, once adequate scuba diving equipment had been invented.
Due to the high status of Baiae's residents, it has proven a trove of artistic treasures. Last year, marine archaeologists announced the discovery of a particularly ornate floor covering known as opus sectile. These designs required cutting stones into precise shapes and then forming complicated patterns, and they were particularly expensive to produce.
The ruin of Baiae attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, whether in the form of intrepid scuba divers or as passengers touring via glass-bottomed boats.