Thermae
Thermae or balneae were elaborate baths corresponding to our country clubs. In addition to all sorts of bathing facilities, the buildings contained gymnasiums, libraries, lounging rooms, and gardens. Among the most famous were the Baths of Caracalla, after which the Pennsylvania Railroad Terminal in New York City was modeled. They were built by the Emperor Caracalla in 212 AD.
A Walk Through the Baths
It is early afternoon in 80 A.D. Clients have visited patrons, the curia has adjourned and every man in Rome has but one thought...to the baths! Why were the baths so much a part of daily life? Why did the wealthy frequent public or privately owned baths when they had their own in their homes? Why, when we travel throughout Europe and the middle east do we find ruins of spectacular structures? Why this need for cleansing daily? Seneca had written that in the early days of Rome, Romans did not wash ALL OVER except once a week. He chastised the patricians in his stoic manner that their ancesters had been content to bath once a nundinae thus they too should abstain from such luxurious behavior. Now we Americans are fanatical about our daily bathing and take for granted a plentiful supply of water. But even today, this is not the case when water is an expensive commodity. Historically bathing was considered unhealthy up to the late 19th century when twice a year was considered just fine. So why is it that Romans littered the landscape with baths?
We know that baths have existed in Roman life since the 2nd century BC and were initially for men only. I suppose that they were even then considered places for important matters and business to be discussed and thus there was no need to consider an area for women. The first baths which are referred to with the neuter word balneum, were privately owned. Thus we can assume that the poorer folk were not cleansed along with the women. They, too, had no business or important matters to discuss thought the 'important' men of the day.
First enter the changing rooms, apodyterium - Did you bring a slave along to hold your towel and oils etc. You have brought your ownstrigils, unguentum and linteum. Your slave might take care of these for you as well as see to the safety of your clothing which was placed in either wooden chests (lockers) or small cubby holes in the wall. It was also possible to hire an attendant for a small fee. It was not wise to leave your belongings unattended.
There was no set order in using the baths...very un roman it seems. They so liked order and regulation. We might go first to thetepidarium. This is a warm room with small bathing pool; A good soak here will open the pores, a proper time to visit the masseur who will give a good rub down, pouring oils on you and then scraping them off, together with a layer of dead skin. The water he throws over you to rinse off any oils he did not get with the strigil is a shock. A visit to the caldarium is a good idea but it might be advisable to first visit the tepidarium again to ease the shock. When we enter the caldarium, we find not only the tub but also the room much warmer. The hypocaust begins here and thus the floor feels warm to the touch. Better wear sandals on this floor. The bath feels great...the cares of the day gone but it is best not to linger here too long. We need to keep sharp to discuss business affairs so even if the conversation gets interesting it is better to continue it in the frigidarium... much as the nordic people today visit the snow banks after a hot sauna. If you want to keep those pores opening and closing, we can also visit the laconicum or sudatoria. This sauna like room is very hot and very dry and was generally used by invalids.
We might return to the tepidarium after the laconicum. or perhaps run over to the palaestra for a few quick games now and maybe finish off with a good swim in the natatio but not before washing feet in a shallow pool. Here we might meet a colleague and retire to the library , the garden, or a private room to discuss purchasing shares in a grain deal. If it goes well we can celebrate with a glass of wine and a hot cake at a thermopolium prior to returning home. Ah life is good! Can you imagine that Seneca wishing for a return to those days when men smelled of farm and army life.