How did the Bath houses work?
Kody O'Keefe
2025-05-12 08:08:17
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Most bath complexes were Thermae. These large, friendly places included outdoor areas for exercise and sports. Inside the Thermae were the actual baths, a series of heated rooms and pools. Many were carefully situated to make the most of the heat of the sun. They were also built to strict specifications, so that their ‘hypocaust heating’ would work properly. This system used water, heated in fiery furnaces under the raised floors of the baths. The resulting steam was channeled through special chambers under the floors and in the walls. This mechanism was very efficient – so much so that unless bath floors were very thick, they would be too hot to walk on. When at the baths, Romans would visit the different rooms in a specific order. They would start at the Apodyterium, or dressing room, where they would undress and leave their clothing, which would be watched over by a servant or slave. They would then visit the Palaestra, or Gymnasium, where they could exercise and where they would have their body oiled before the baths themselves. Next up was the Frigidarium, or cold room, which contained a cold plunge bath, before they visited the Tepidarium, or warm room, to recover. The final room was the Caldarium, a steamy hot room which might also have a hot plunge bath, or labrum.
Ali Wuckert
2025-05-05 00:29:14
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In 200 B.C., following the influence of Hippocrates, the Roman Empire began constructing public spas and bathhouses. Initially, they were like thermal spas in Greece and used hot springs to supply the water, but this changed as time went on. The Romans began developing aqueducts that would transport water. This meant that the baths could be built further from the springs. Eventually, the Romans began adding sub-floor heating chambers to the baths. Wood-burning furnaces that caused warm air to rise fueled these, heating the water from below.
The Romans created their baths with many rooms and functions, and so there were stages in how they used them: Apodyterium—this was a locker and changing area where the visitor would undress and store their clothes while they used the baths. Gymnasium—the visitor would complete a workout and then cover themselves head to toe in oil. Frigidarium—after the gymnasium, the visitor went for a cold water plunge to cool off. Tepidarium—after cooling off, they would bathe for some time in a warm water bath to prepare their body for hotter water. Caldarium—this was where they would enjoy a hot bath, heated by either thermal springs or underground furnaces. Many romans would return to the tepidarium after their hot soak to cool down and enjoy a massage.
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