Roman Baths Presentation

Front 1

Practice of bathing

Back 1

Bathing was a central activity in Roman life. Their purpose was for hygiene but there was an important social aspect to mixing with the people gathered there. Men would often go after a work day which ended around 2 pm, and women would go in the morning. Men's and women's bathing were separated in the vast majority of cases. The baths required a very minimal entrance fee so they were very accessible to the general public.

Front 2

Types of Baths

Back 2

The elaborate baths that people think of today developed from private in-home baths. Public baths were favored because of their social aspect and accessibility. Balneae were smaller, often privately owned bathing establishments that were variable in plan due to their size.

Front 3

Private baths

Back 3

The tradition of bathing comes from the Mediterranean region. Some early examples of private baths are also found in rural central Italy. They started the tradition of the 3-unit bath with varying temperatures. C-hot, T-med, F-cold.The earliest private baths were located next to the kitchen so they could be heated by the furnace. Hypocausts were independent heating systems of baths and their invention led to baths that were less dependent on heat from the kitchen.

Front 4

Early Public Baths

Back 4

Public baths developed from the tradition started in private baths and their architecture reflects the bathing ritual. Located at the entrance is the Apodyterium or the changing room and the Frigidarium. The Tepidarium connects the hot and cold rooms and the Caldarium is located at the end of this line. after this bathers reverse their order and go back through the tepidarium to the entrance for the final cold bath. In these baths, the exercise courtyard was located outside of the bathing facilities.

Front 5

practice of bathing 2

Back 5

The first aspect of bathing was to change, then do some light exercise, get an oil massage, and then go through the bathing procedure. When bathing you would first enter a warm-temperatured rooms, then move to a very hot bath, go through another warm room and end with a cold plunge. These are just the common steps but they can vary greatly and there are many other elements that can be added.

Front 6

types of baths 2

Back 6

Thermae are what people most associate with baths. These are the large, elaborate, state-owned establishments that also have different types. Thermo-mineral baths are located near hot springs and are for therapeutic bathing. They are natural sweating rooms and consist of barrel vaulted chambers.

Front 7

Stabian baths

Back 7

2nd century BC, earliest public baths of republican period started the single axis row type, and introduced the making of these rooms as independently vaulted, parallel rectangular rooms except the Caldarium which commonly has an apse. It also shows the clear separation between the palaestra and the bathing block.

Front 8

Pompeiian Balneae

Back 8

developed from early public baths. show separation of palaestra and bathing block, but often added a colonnade around the courtyard and shops around the outside. It follows the clear single axis type. Glanum shows one example

Front 9

Half-Axial Balneae

Back 9

More advanced type than single axis row. Has same pattern of circulation that begins and ends in the frigidarium but in a ring. They still use some linear elements in a row, but it is an important introduction of curvilinear and octagonal elements that is reflected in later types of balneae and thermae. One example is the Baths of Maxentius (date unknown)

Front 10

Imperial Balneae

Back 10

Imperial type balneae are a precursor to imperial thermae because they show a clear main axis in which 2 symmetrical bathing halls converge. It is a large feat to plan this type of building. The Fortress baths show this through the two apodyteria /frigidairum the converge to the tepidarium and caldarium.

Front 11

Imperial Thermae

Back 11

read slide- focus on architectural aspect. very formalized in plan

Front 12

Roman thermae

Back 12

read slide

Front 13

Small imperial thermae

Back 13

read, Nero- not as adept at using vaults, buttresses are too heavy

Front 14

Large imperial

Back 14

read, Trajan- also shows example of a natatio

Front 15

Thermae of Carcalla

Back 15

Palaestrae included decorations of athletes

Front 16

Thermae of Diocletian

Back 16

also includes exedrae with seating for theater or performances

Front 17

Thermae of Constantine

Back 17

This shows the desire of the emperor to please citizens through gifts, because the thermae of Carcalla and diocletian were already very sufficient. Caldarium has 3 horseshoe apses with a semi-circular colonnade