House of the Bust of Marcus Aurelius
Dates
2nd-3rd century CE
Garden Description
This domus (ca. 1000 m²) has a large central garden of irregular shape (250 m²) enclosed by a peristyle (20.20 x 21.40 m, 432.30 m²) (Plan view, Fig. 1). The northwest wing seems the most important area of the house. It had a large corridor XVII that opened onto a portico XVIII with a view toward the garden. In the garden, along the axis of the main reception room II, a semi-circular aedicula XXIV was installed on a cistern XXVI where fragments of Marcus Aurelius bust were found that was probably installed on a stuccoed statue base XXV. On the south side of the garden on the edge of the gallery XXI was a semi-circular pool XXVIII.
The wing that is perpendicular to the northwest one was comprised of a series of rooms built against the hill. All rooms were paved with mosaics and belonged to a latter phase. Rooms located on the higher level beyond this wing had a large panoramic view of the sea.
Built over an older establishment, the house presents two main phases. The main building dates from the 3rd quarter of the IInd century, with mosaic decoration from Severian times.
Plans
Bibliography
- Bullo, S., Ghedini, F., Amplissimae atque ornatissimae domus: l'edilizia residenziale nelle città della Tunisia romana, Rome: Edizioni Quasar, 2003, p. 84. (worldcat)
- Ennabli, A., "Rapport préliminaire de la fouille de la villa romaine de Kelibia", in Africa, 3 (1969-70), pp. 239-41.
- Lassère, J.-M., Slim, H., Maisons de Clupea. Les maisons de l'Ecole de pêche, Paris, 2010, pp. 67-148. (worldcat)
Keywords
- domusAAT:300005506
- peristyle housesAAT:300005452
- aediculesAAT:300002574
- semicircular basin
- Marcus AureliusULAN:500115701
- sculpture (visual works)AAT:300047090