A late antique bath complex with an honorific statue display on the Tetrapylon Street at Aphrodisias

Journal article

An imposing masonry structure with an arched statue niche in its façade overlooks the key north-south avenue in Aphrodisias known as the Tetrapylon Street. While this structure has traditionally been dated to the Early Imperial period, recent archaeological investigation has offered new insights concerning its chronology and function. This paper presents the results of this research. It is shown here that the structure was originally part of a larger bathing complex constructed when the entire Tetrapylon Street was renewed following a destructive earthquake of the later fifth century AD. Two components of the statue monument displayed in the building’s niched façade are also identified and discussed. Originally made in the first century AD, both components seem to have been recycled and reworked to commemorate a new benefactor involved in the late-fifth-century construction programme. They therefore provide a striking new case study that fits into the growing scholarly discourse on the long lives of ancient monuments in late antique Anatolia.

Authors: Thomas, J; Jacobs, I; Basaran, YD

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Anatolian Studies
• Acceptance date: 2025-12-16
• EISSN: 2048-0849
• ISSN: 0066-1546
• Language: English