Baths

 **Roman Public Baths** The first Roman bath was built in Agrippa in 21 BC. (Middleton, p.141) Immediately, more and more cities began building extravagant bathing complexes to be used by the general public. Architects competed to come up with the most unique and beautiful layouts for new baths. Mosaics were often tiled on the bottoms of the pools, halls were made of marble, and elaborate, colorful paintings covered every wall. They became progressively larger too; by 305 A.D. over a thousand people could occupy a single bath. (Moulton, p. 96) Roman baths were used for more than just personal hygiene; they also symbolized that Rome was cleaner and therefore superior to other empires. ( [|http://www.pbs.org], The Roman Empire: Baths) Few Romans were wealthy enough to own their own bathing facilities, so the people would gather at the end of the day and share the public //Thermae,// meaning hot springs. ( http://www.britishmuseum.org, Baths and bathing) The //Thermae// were very similar to modern wellness centers. Guests paid a fee before entering and were then granted access to the //Thermae’s// many services. There was an outdoor area where one could workout or play sports. Attendants carried towels and offered services such as massages or healing treatments. Inside, there were several rooms with baths of different water temperature. (Peck, p.198) The first room was called the //Apodyterium// which was where the people left their clothes and oiled themselves before the bath. The next held a cold bath called a //frigidarium// and the final two rooms held warmer baths called //tepidariums// or //caldariums//. They were heated by underground furnaces that channeled steam through the floor. Once one had visited all three of these rooms, a servant would scrape the oils off using a hook-shaped tool and they would visit the same rooms in  opposite order. ([|http://www.pbs.org], Ancient Rome: Baths) All of the water was supplied by a complex, 640 kilometer aqueduct system. ( [|http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk], Roman Baths)  Men and women bathed separately, but other than that, bathing was not a private matter in Rome. ( [|www.britishmuseum.org], Baths and bathing) Even the baths inside the villas of extremely wealthy people were meant for more than just one occupant. It was common for party guests to all bathe together at the end of the night. Bathing was seen as a social matter and a means of entertainment. People of all social classes went to the same bath not only to bathe, but also to conduct business, visit with friends, read, or discuss politics. ( [|http://www.pbs.org], NOVA Roman Baths) Public baths were a major aspect of all Roman cities. It was more than just a means of hygiene, but a way for all persons of a community to connect.     

Works Cited **  “Baths.” //The Roman Empire in the First Century.// 2006. http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/baths.html. (accessed 1 December 2008) Middleton, J.H. //The Remains of Ancient Rome.// London: Adam and Charles Black, 1892. Moulton, Carroll, ed. //Ancient Greece and Rome.// New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1998. Peck, Harry Thurston. //Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities.// New York: Harpers & Brothers, 1898. Pollard, Nigel. “Roman Region Gallery.” //BBC Home: Ancient History Romans.// 2 December 2008. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/roman_religion_gallery_08.shtml. (accessed 2 December 2008) Trueman, Chris. “Roman Baths.” //The History Learning Site.// 2008. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_baths.htm. (accessed 1 December 2008) Trustees of the British Museum. “Roman baths and bathing.” //The British Museum.// 1993. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/r/roman_baths_and_bathing.aspx. (accessed 1 December 2008)