DESCRIPTION
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
INFORMATION
 
 
The northern thermae (baths) of the Roman city of Nikopolis constitute one of the most important public complexes within the town of Octavian Augustus. They are located to the south of Proastio, a settlement that was lying about 400m to the north of the ancient fortified city and was used as a sacred wood due to its proximity to the sanctuary of Apollo. The impressive monument served mainly athletes participating to the Nea Aktia Games, which were organized in honour of Apollo. The thermae were constructed immediately after the foundation of the town, in the late first century BC, and stayed in use for a long time. Today, the monument is conserved in good condition; the local residents know it under the name of ?Bed?nia?.

The complex of buildings consists of curvilinear and rectangular spaces, linked to each other through a multitude of openings; they count many semicircular niches and rows of piers. The best preserved part is the western wing consisting of three vaulted rooms. The east wing was of the same structure, yet only the foundations survive to date. The rooms of the complex are interconnected and roofed by arches, apses and vaults, a significant characteristic for this type of Roman buildings. The floors of the rooms were adorned with marble and mosaics. The wall revetment was also ornate with colourful marble patterns (opus sectile). The bathing complex of Nikopolis disposed of a large swimming pool (natatio), a bathroom with cold bath (frigidarium) and bathrooms with gradually warming-up pools for warm and hot bath respectively (tepidarium, caldarium). The spaces were heated thanks to a hypocaust furnace where fire burnt incessantly and heated the hypocausts and the air that circulated through walled-in earthen pipes.

During the years 1973-1974, extensive fixing works and efforts for restoration of the walls were undertaken in the complex of the thermae at the Proastio settlement. Furthermore was initiated the conservation of lintels at the extant entrances of the edifice.