L’epigrafia delle terme pubbliche nell’Africa romana tra linguaggio tecnico e pubblica utilità

Abstract

The in-depth analysis of the epigraphic record from Rome related to the restoration of thermal baths and other water structures seems to reveal two so far neglected aspects, which emerge from the end of the third century A.D.: firstly, the frequent use of specialised technical terms to describe the parts of the buildings involved in the restoration works, occasionally including details of the decoration and the materials used. Secondly, reference is often explicitly made to the needs and requests of citizens, the ultimate recipients of these public works. On the basis of these results, the analysis has been extended to the epigraphic record from Roman Africa with the aim of determining whether, within the same chronological horizon, the same might apply to the North African provinces. These are especially noteworthy for their rich epigraphic heritage, which includes a high number of inscriptions relating to public works and thermal buildings in particular.