Leptis Magna’s collonaded street and nymphaeum or fountain are two of its most impressive monuments. They were constructed to celebrate the visit of Septimius Severus to his hometown in the 3rd century AD.

Neither is equalled by any other fountain or collonaded street anywhere else in the roman near east. They represent Leptis Magna at the height of its power. However, the nymphaeum also played a part in its fall.

The Colonnaded Street, Leptis Magna

Septimius Severus ordered the construction of the collonaded street as a monumental route to the harbour of Leptis Magna from the central city, where it terminated in a square near the Baths of Hadrian.

The design of the street originated with Julia Domna, Septimius Severus’s Syrian wife. It became typical for monumental streets in the Roman Middle East, but no other city’s equalled the example at Leptis Magna.

The street consisted of 125 columns of white cipolin marble that flanked either side of the 20.5 m wide roadway. The columns formed two lateral porticos that ran for nearly 400m through the city. What made it unusual was that the columns of the porticos were toped not with architraves but arches.

The route of the street had to be bent to accommodate the pre-existing Baths of Hadrian before terminating in the square in front of it. A monumental fountain or nymphaeum marked this termination point.

The Nymphaeum

This ornamental fountain was built just outside the Baths of Hadrian on the south side of the square that marked the termination point of the collonaded street. Its facing was elaborate and designed to resemble that of a Roman theatre.

The fountain had a semi-circular facade and was decorated with two rows of columns. The lower tiers were cipolin marble, while the upper was red granite. In between each pair of columns were niches for statues.

In front, instead of a stage, was the fountain bowl. This was separated from the street by a balustrade covered with decorated herms. 

Interestingly, many of these herms were not completed because of the imminent arrival of the emperor.

A staircase at the back of the nymphaeum offered access to unprecedented views over the city. Yet the nymphaeum was not simply a decorative feature. Its rear wall was faced with marble that hid a thick concrete core. This was because the wall backed onto the city’s wadi or river and acted as part of the dam that held it in check. It was this wall that was breached during the earthquake of 365AD. The breach led to the flooding of Leptis Magna, beginning its decline.

Resources

Dal Bosca, Oriana (2004) Leptis Magna. Ananke: Italy