Temple of Caelestis (Temple de Caelestis)

Location

Plan of Thuburbo Maius; CMT, Thuburbo Majus
Plan of Thuburbo Maius (CMT, Thuburbo Majus)

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

Temple of Caelestis (Temple de Caelestis)

Keywords

Garden Description

The marble causeway leading to the temple was bordered on each side with soil that was probably planted as in temple E (Plan view, Fig. 1).

Plans

Plan of the Temple of Caelestis
Fig. 1: Plan of the Temple of Caelestis (CMT, V. II, fasc.2, plan 9)

Dates

unspecified

Bibliography

  • Ben Abed-Ben Khader, A., Corpus des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Thuburbo Majus, Les mosaïques de la région des Grands Thermes, V. II, fasc.2, INA, Tunis, 1985, pp. 47-9, plan 9. (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)
  • Malek, A.-A., "Le jardin dans les sanctuaires du Maghreb romain, premières approches", in Du culte aux sanctuaires : l'architecture religieuse dans l'Afrique romaine et byzantine, Brouquier Reddé, V., Baratte, Fr., Rocca E. (dir.), Paris, de Boccard, coll. Orient et Méditerranée, 2018, pp. 213-230, 360, pl. 10. (worldcat)

Places

Places containing this garden