The History of Baths

Rooms of a Typical Roman Bath - Part 1

The apodyterium A reception room and changing room providing storage space for clothing and other possessions while bathing. Slaves guarded these possessions and carried one’s personal towels, oil flask, and strigil, a curved metal body scraper. The days of commercial soap were still in the future.

From the apodyterium, the ancient Roman could progress to the Palaestrae, where he could exercise, stroll, eat or study. The Palaestrae consisted of large gymnasiums, unroofed yards, and other grounds. Open space was plentiful, allowing a large variety of activities either sporting or leisurely. The sports facilities included:

• Boxing
• Trochus a game of rolling a medal hoop
• Basketball
• Bladder ball
• Haltera (swinging)
• Handball
• Hop-ball
• Racquetball
• Running
• Swimming in an outside pool
• Tennis
• Trochus a game of rolling a medal hoop
• Weightlifting (mainly for the men, women participated but only rarely)
• Wrestling

The palastrae was also an area of relaxation; there were all kinds of restaurants, shops and even libraries. The palastrae was full of avenues trees and walkways where patrons could stroll. Other activities in the palastrae emphasised the social aspects of the thermae, there were museums, which had art, and science exhibitions, theatres, parks, which held literary recitations, art galleries, exhibition halls or libraries. One might rest in a sitting room, lounge, bar or restaurant. Board games were played and many of the thermae had gaming areas so the bathers could gamble. Gaming such as dice, and knucklebones, was popular among all classes, and they involved either counter or money.

Often the tepidarium adjoined the reception rooms; this was a mildly heated hall with high vaulted ceilings, lavishly decorated. This was next to the frigidarium a large chilled swimming pool area, where bathers could chill out and close their pores. Then be anointed with woollen napkins impregnated with essential oils.

The calidarium was the area for warm bathing and the water was heated by subterranean streams. The unctorium was a room where patrons could be anointed and rubbed down with oil. Afterwards, bathers would scrape their bodies with strigils a metal pr bone implement, which scraped off excess oil.

The sudatorium was also known as the raconicium it actes as a modern day sauna bath, which was heated by dry air. The caldarium was extremely hot and steam room fitted with a labrum, a waist-high bronze basin located in the middle of the room, and individual bathing boxes along the perimeter.

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