Basilica of Saint Crispina
About
A sprawling Christian basilica complex grew up at Theveste honoring Crispina, a Numidian noblewoman beheaded near the city in 304 CE for refusing to sacrifice to the emperors. A mosaic inscription dates its central shrine to 350 CE, with further wings added into the 5th century, making it one of the largest basilica complexes in Roman North Africa. In 117 CE neither her cult nor any building here yet existed.
What happened here
This is the town's indoor hall, and in winter it is where everyone goes. Court sits at one end on a raised platform, screened off with wooden partitions when the case is private. Around it, business goes on regardless — contracts witnessed, cargoes argued over, bankers at their tables, men sheltering from rain with nothing to do. The roof is carried on two storeys of columns, and the upper gallery is a good place to watch a trial without being counted as part of the crowd. Advocates are paid by reputation and perform accordingly; a good one draws an audience the way an actor does. Noise carries badly, which everyone complains about. Building one is the standard way for a rich citizen to be remembered.
Sources
Nearby
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →