The Romans were concerned about health and cleanliness. A network of pipes brought clean water into the city of Rome and removed waste.
The public bath house was the place where people went to socialise and do business as well as getting clean.
The picture, above, shows an artists impression of how a Roman bathhouse may have looked.
Note the classical columns and arches, mosaic floor and ceiling.
The large spacious entrance or meeting area is a place where visitors can walk and talk or sit on seats around two large fountains.
The public baths can be seen in the background through the feature arches.
This picture is of one of the oldest surviving Roman bath houses – the bathhouse in Bath, near Bristol in the United Kingdom
Twelve facts about the Bath House:-
There were hot, warm and cold baths
Water was heated by a boiler over a fire
The hot room was called the caldarium
The cold room was called the frigidarium
Men and women used separate bath houses
The floor might be covered with a mosaic
You had to pay to use the baths
You could buy refreshments at the baths
People did weight lifting at the baths
Public slaves could give you a massage
There was no soap so people used oil instead
Sticks called strigils were used to scrape dirt off the body
This article is part of our larger resource on the Romans culture, society, economics, and warfare. Click here for our comprehensive article on the Romans.
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"The Romans – The Bath House" History on the Net© 2000-2024, Salem Media.
March 28, 2024 <https://www.historyonthenet.com/the-romans-the-bath-house>
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