Baiæ

Baiæ, a small town of antiquity, on the coast of Campania, 10 miles W. of Naples and opposite Puteoli, where the present castle of Baja stands. When the Roman empire was in its greatest splendour, the beauty of its situation, the fineness of the surrounding scenery, and the excellence of its mineral springs, made Baiæ such a favourite resort of the Roman nobles, that for want of space for their baths and villas they built out into the sea. Julius Cæsar, Piso, Pompey, Marius, Julia Mammæa, and others, had country-houses at Baiæ. Horace preferred Baiæ to all other places in the world. The ruins, still standing on the desolate coast, or visible beneath the clear waters of the sea, are now the only evidence of the former magnificence of Baiæ. The ruins of three supposed temples, as well as the remains of a few thermæ, or warm baths, still attract the attention of archaeologists. The harbour, one of the largest belonging to the Romans, is now small and poor. The surrounding country is covered with the ruins of Roman villas, sepulchral monuments, and other buildings.