Byzantine baths in Thessaloniki

The 5th c. AD, Thessaloniki, the second most important city of the Byzantine Empire, was in its great acne and reformation. An intense building activity is recorded in the ecclesiastical and urban buildings of the time. Thirty-four roman and byzantine bath facilities were discovered intra muros in Thessaloniki, out of which twenty-six were roman constructions. Eleven roman baths continued their function also in the Early Byzantine period, during which six more baths were built. Given the importance of the bathing habit in the byzantine society, this study confirms the fact that during the Early Byzantine period the residents of Thessaloniki had the choice of using public baths. In fact, several baths operated at the same time in the city in order to serve the citizens by region.