The History of Baths

Roman baths, The Epitomé of Communal Sensual Perception - Part 1

The concept of a Roman bath house was not so much a cleansing area, but rather a palace of entertainment, to which all had access regardless of wealth of social standing. During the early history of the Roman empire little priority was given to bathing, in general it was an activity carries out about once every nine days. However, about the second Century B.C. the Greek custom of regular bathing became fashionable in Rome. Small, privately owned bathhouses called “balneae” opened throughout the empire. Part of their popularity was because they only charged a minimal admittance fee.

The Greeks had developed the technology for hot air and steam baths as early as the 5th century BC, and archaeological remains have been found in Italy dating back to the 3rd century BC. The development of hypocaust heating allowed for the creation of hot and cold rooms, sweat rooms and plunge baths. Bathing quickly became a social communal activity.

The state owned baths built by built Agrippa in the last 1st century BC, were the first to be referred to as thermae, these were more majestic. The thermae were such elaborate buildings they covered several blocks. The wealthy citizens of the municipality were expected to pay for their upkeep. Despite the fact that the thermae were opened to all, few wealthy women would frequent a public bath, it was a definitely middle class thing to do. Often women had separate bathing facilities; certainly, the high-ranking wealthy women had their private steam baths at home. There was no incentive for them to bathe publicly as they had servants to fulfil their every need at home. Their private baths were large enough to fulfil the sociable aspect of bathing.

Where private bathing facilities were not available for women, the public thermae, allocated separate hours for women bathers. Typically, they got what was regarded as the worst time for bathing, early morning until noon. Women were penalised economically they had to pay double the admittance fee of men. The men paid a quarter of the copper coin whilst women paid a half. However if the women had children they bathed free of charge, or more correctly it was mandatory inclusion in the price of the women admission, whether or not they existed. This small fee was affordable for all free citizens of the Roman Empire. For the men a visit to the larger luxurious bath complexes was a part of everyday ritual, an early example of social and political networking, rather than a way of cleaning themselves.