HADRIAN’S
BATHS AT
LEPCIS MAGNA
Where in the world is
Lepcis Magna again?
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Hadrian’s Baths were built in Lepcis
Magna 126-7 AD.
the town had a previous set of Baths
known as the Hunting Baths but
they were not in the Imperial
(symmetrical) style.
BATHS IN GENERAL
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going to the baths was a daily routine for most Roman
men.
because the baths were a very important part of city life
access cost very little, sometimes it was even free.
women had access to the baths but went at different
times because there were no separate facilities for them.
these baths were:
 a source of civic pride,
 a triumph of Roman technology,
 a sign of wealth and security in
a province,
 a sign of Roman might to the
local inhabitants,
 a sign of Imperial generosity and
concern in a province.
DESIGN OF THESE BATHS
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the baths are symmetrical and are placed
on a north/south axis.
these baths were set up so the bather
would naturally progress from the…
unheated palaestra and frigidarium
to the warmer tepidarium
to the super-heated caldarium and
laconica.
THE HYPOCAUSTUM
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a heated tank (the boiler) of water fed hot water to
various parts of the baths.
the hottest rooms were closer to the furnace.
it also heated rooms by:
 circulating warm air
under the floor
which was raised on
little piers of bricks
under the floor.
 or through hollow
spaces in the walls
(flues).
PARTS OF THE ROMAN
BATHS
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APODYTERIUM = changing room
FRIGIDARIUM = room with cold pools
TEPIDARIUM
= warm room for heating
up the body
CALADRIUM
= room with hot pools
LACONICUM
= steam room for sweating
UNCTORIUM
= massage room
LATRINA
= toilet
HYPOCAUSTUM = furnace room
NATATIO
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find picture of
outdoor swimming
pool
RAA – notes (+ this
one) are
incomplete….see
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this swimming pool
was 1.75m deep
it was the largest area
in the baths.
it had a vaulted
portico of Corinthian
columns on three
sides and was
the base was
decorated with a
gravel-like mosaic.
FRIGIDARIUM
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this cold pool was 18.2m x 14.9m.
it was the centre of the complex
and the largest and most
important room.
it separated the cold rooms from
the hot rooms.
the cold plunge pools were
entered through arched entrance
ways from the frigidarium.
FRIGIDARIUM
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the frigidarium’s roof was larger
than the other roofs.
the roof consists of cross vaults.
huge arched entrance ways were at
the east and west ends.
the walls were originally covered
with elaborate marble.
TEPIDARIUM
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this was the first warm room.
it was entered via a central door in the
southern wall of the frigidarium.
its main feature was a marble
plunge bath which was entered
through an arched opening
flanked by grey marble columns.
two smaller baths were added
later on each side of the central
bath. These two smaller baths were
surrounded by black marble columns.
CALDARIUM
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the largest of the hot rooms at 22m x
10.9m and was entered through the
tepidarium.
it was the most sourthern of the
rooms.
its was roofed with a barrel-vault
with five arched windows
LACONICA
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these were superheated sweat
rooms.
there were four rooms and they were
to the north of the caldarium.
these rooms were made for people to
sit in and sweat in, they would then
be scraped.
IS IT HOT IN HERE…?
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the hotter rooms were placed on the
southern side of the baths because of the
position of the sun in the afternoon.
there were a number
of furnace rooms on
the south side, close
to the caldarium and
the laconica.
OTHER ROOMS IN THE BATHS
PALAESTRA
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a vast exercise yard was to the north of the bath
complex.
NON-WET ROOMS
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a further series of chambers run along the
western and eastern sides of the complex that
may have:
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libraries,
rest areas,
maybe even lecture halls.
LATRINA
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the toilets were on the east and
west sides of the northern end.
they had three
sides of marble
seated toilets.
the toilets were
also communal.
there was also
had an apse in
each toilet to
hold a statue.
SO IN CONCLUSION…
PALAESTRA
NATATIO
APODYTERIUM
LATRINA
FRIGIDARIUM
TEPIDARIUM
LACONICUM
CALADRIUM
UNCTORIUM
FURNACE ROOMS