The Roman
Baths
A majority of the
were
Apopulation
Roman bath
not
rich
enough
is equivalent to
to have specific
modern
health
rooms
in
their
spas or gyms. It
houses
with
a
was a relaxation
fully
operating
center,
a city
tub.
They
had
to
pool, and gossip
regularly
go the
haven
all rolled
public
baths
in
into one.
order to keep
themselves clean.
Roman baths are not necessarily what you would expect. It was not
necessarily about bathing but socializing, exercising, and even reading.
Think of the bath as the Roman hub of relaxed conversations and
gatherings of friends.
While the forum was about business, the bath was about relaxation.
Bathhouses were far from tiny. Most had to be large enough to house not only pools
(hot, warm, and cold for both genders) but also exercise grounds, gymnastic equipment,
courts for games, hair salons and sometimes libraries and rooms for meetings with
friends. Because it was an important part of their daily schedule, many architects and
artists did their best to create amazing places for them to go.
Imperial (and
large) baths
were known
as Thermae.
The smaller
private baths
were known
as balneae
 Most Roman cities had at least one public bathhouse. Pompeii had
at least four public baths and a number of private bathhouses.
Water was supplied by adjacent rivers and streams or by an
aqueduct.
 Why did the Roman population rely on public baths when private
baths were an option?
While it was
public, the baths
were not free. You
had to pay a
small fee to an
ostiarius in order
to enter. The first
part they would
come to would be
the palaestra.
A palaestra looks
similar to the
peristylium – a
large colonnaded
arena. It was
mainly used for
training, exercise,
and sports. They
enjoyed playing
catch, fencing,
and throwing the
discus.
Once they were finished with the palaestra, they would follow a
walkway into the apodyterium or changing room. They would hand
their togas and garb to a public slave who would place it into a
cubby.
The first place they would enter after the apodyterium is the
tepidarium, or the warm room. There were benches all along the
walls and usually caused a light sweat. It was to help with the
transition into the next room.
After the tepidarium, they would enter the caldarium, or hot room.
There was a large rectangular bath that stretched the full width of
the room. It was heated using a hypocaust.
The Frigidarium
Soap?
Ancient Romans didn’t use soap but used olive oil as a way to clean
their skin. They would have to scrap it off using a strigil, a type of
blunt scraper. It both cleaned and moisturized the skin.
The Hypocaust
The Romans were not the first to build baths, but they did improve
on the design. One way was in the heating system. Originally, water
was heated in tanks by a furnace. It was fueled by wood.
It didn’t quite work. In
the 1st cent. BCE, the
Romans developed a
central heating system
with a furnace below the
first level. The floor was
supported by bricks and
flues were built into the
walls to allow air to move.
The Rooms:
A typical bathhouse had at least the basics, which includes five separate
areas.
The Apodyterium
The changing room
Both genders had their own changing rooms
The Tepidarium
The warm room
Very much like a sauna w/ dry heat
Usually the first room visited
All about sweating
A place to chat with friends
The most decorated area
The Caldarium
The hot room
Usually visited after the tepidarium
Romans covered themselves in oil before entering
Exceptionally hot (100 degrees F)
Romans wore wooden sandals to protect their feet
You would scrape yourself clean with a strigil
The Frigidarium
The cold room
Quick dip and then off to dress!
Always after the caldarium
The Palaestra
The exercise area
A large colonnaded open space