Inscriptions in Context

The Mosaic Building Inscriptionsin the Roman Baths of Italy

Abstract

Unlike inscriptions on stone tabulae, mosaic inscriptions embedded in the floor of buildings have often been preserved in their original architectural setting. Crucially, in societies with limited literacy, the physical context of the inscriptions could be as informative as the words themselves. This paper investigates the practice of installing mosaic building inscriptions in the floors of the bath complexes of Italy, where they seem to have been particularly popular between the late 2^nd c. BC and the mid‑1^st c. AD. The twelve known mosaic inscriptions are considered within their architectural context, with a focus on how they interacted with their surroundings; the way commissioners and builders designed and positioned them for optimal visibility; how they shaped circulation routes within baths and influenced bathers’ behaviour; and how their placement in the building and prominence in the room evolved over time. The practice mostly vanished by the end of the 1st c. AD due to a combination of political, stylistic, symbolic, and economic factors, only to reappear in baths and other structures roughly four centuries later.

KEYWORDS

Baths, Mosaic Inscriptions, Italy, Euergetism, Architectural Context