House of Nicentus (Maison de Nicentus)
Location
Location Description
The city occupies the slopes of a hill in a fertile grain producing area about 50 kilometers to the south of Tunis. Originally a settlement of mercenary soldiers after the fall of Carthage, it was raised to a municipium by Hadrian (117-138), and to a colony during the rein of Commodus (177-192). The chief public buildings and the most beautiful homes date from this period. After the crisis of the Empire during the third century, Thuburbo saw a rebirth in the fourth century; but as imperial authority declined the city became a mere village.
Garden
House of Nicentus (Maison de Nicentus)
Keywords
- domusAAT:300005506
- peristyle housesAAT:300005452
- semicircular basin
- oeciAAT:300080791
- mosaics (visual works)AAT:300015342
Garden Description
The house is adjacent to the E angle of the Forum at the back of the Curia.
It was laid out around a peristyle garden (VI-X) of 12 columns (Plan view, Fig. 1). A low wall separated the porticos from the garden. Two semicircular pools projected into the garden; they were located in the axis of two reception rooms. The largest of the pools faced the oecus (XIV); its bottom was paved with a fish mosaic and the inside depicted putti boating and swimming. The second basin on the SE side faced room XI.
Plans
Dates
3rd-4th century CE
Bibliography
- Alexander, Margaret A., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Thuburbo Majus, Les mosaïques de la région du Forum, V. II, fasc.1, INA, Tunis, 1980, pp. 39-52, plan 10-11 (worldcat)
- Ben Abed-Ben Khader, A., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Thuburbo Majus, Les mosaïques de la région Ouest, V. II, fasc.3, INA, Tunis, 1987.(worldcat)
- Bullo, S. and F. Ghedini,. Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, pp.221-223. (worldcat)