The Baths of Titus

THe Romanes (because of their great proud mindes) alwayes sought to build things of great maiestie, which might shew their great power both by Water and Land: and to that end they made the wonderfull Hauen of Ostia, for the ease of the Citie of Rome: which, in trueth, (in regard of the commoditie and greatnesse of the Building thereof, and specially the great strength thereof) may well bee called wonderfull. It is of forme Hexagoniick, that is, 6. cornerd: and each Facie is 116. roodes long, and each tood is 10. Palmes: by these principall measures, you may vnderstand the greatnesse therof, euery Facie had a large walking place, with Galleries round about, & 4. Appertiments also, compassed with Galleries, and a walking place in the middle. Along the water side there were trunckes of Columnes orderly placed, whereunto the ships were fastened; and at the mouth of the Hauen, there were towers to defend it from the enemie in time of néed. And for that you can hardly perceaue the Appertiments in so small a forme, therefore I haue placed them beneath in greater forme, and marked them with A. and B.

THe Thermes of Titus are lesse then the other; and therefore by the people they were called Thermi minori: neuerthelesse, (after my opinion) they are well made: the Ichnographie of these Thermes is measured with the ancient Palme. First, the Diameter of the round forme marked A. is about 150. Palmes: the part B. is in length 80 Palmes, and in bredth 51. Palmes: the part C. is 80. Palmes in length, and in bredth 60 Palmes. The forme D. is about 100. Palmes in Diameter: and the Portall E. is 50. Palmes: the part F. is 120. Palmes long, and 70. broad: the eyght ranked part marked G. is about 100. Palmes: the round part H. is 150. Palmes in Diameter. The part 1. is 100. Palmes, and is almost two foure squares: the two parts, each marked with K. is 30. Palmes on eyther side. The part L. is 125. Palmes, in length, the bredth 30 Palmes. The roundnesse marked M. is about 120. Palmes in Diameter. That part marked N. is 148. Palmes long, and 57. broad. The part O. is the same: the preseruation of the water followeth after.

THe preseruing, or the place where the water of the Thermes of Titus, the sonne of Vespatianus was kept, is wonderfully made, and very Artificiall, and that is, for that the Arches of these preseruatiues are placed in such good order, that a man, standing in the going through of the one, séeeth them all ouerthwarts: and this is the place which the people commonly call, The seuen Halles, and it was for this cause, because the spaces are seuen in number: and in them you sée ouerthwarts, backwards and forewards, alwayes 7. in number: the thicknesse of the walls, is foure foot and an halfe: the widenesse of the Arches is sixe foot: from one Arch to the other, are 27. foot: the widenesse from one wall to the other, is 15. foots, and they are round roofed, of an indifferent height. The walles and roofes are playstered with most hard plaister.