Baths in Ancient Rome

Baths Of Rome

The baths of Rome were a spectacle to behold. Contemporaries marveled at their dimensions and technology, and even today the structures impress us. The Romans managed to invent floor and wall heating and figured out ways of efficiently moving water from faraway wells and streams. The baths were much more than a place to get clean, relax, and socialize. Many of the larger bath complexes had small amphitheaters, eateries, even libraries. In the baths even Romans who did not have a lot could bask in the power and luxury of the Empire. The Romans were ruthless and killed thousands in the name of the empire but they also contributed to the world many technological innovations. These ranged from massive buildings to aqueducts and sewer systems. The technology employed in the baths would remain the most advanced in its field for hundreds of years to come (Schultz, pp.45-51).

Two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire was the most powerful civilization on Earth, stretching from North Africa and Asia Minor across Europe to the British Isles. The Romans unified these diverse lands by military might, their unique culture and language, and, not least, their mastery of engineering.

Many of Rome's engineering secrets originated in one of its most important institutions: the Roman bath. A vital focus for leisure and social interaction, the public bathhouse incorporated intricate systems for plumbing and heating, sophisticated vaulted ceilings, and a revolutionary new building material we now call concrete. These buildings represented a new concept of luxury and sophistication in an age more often marked by violence and squalor. Indeed, the bathhouse was one of Rome's most effective tools for converting its conquered subjects to the Roman way of life (Sestieri, pp.24-29). Supported by generous state subsidies, the bath functioned as pleasure palace, public health facility and community center in every town under Roman rule.

Bath Technology and Layout

For all of their barbaric tendencies and callous indifference for human life, Romans created technology so advanced that it took the world nearly till the Enlightenment to catch up. The Romans made many structures that have lasted to these very days. Not only was their engineering incredibly sound and precise but it was also very innovative. They made aqueducts that ran through many of their grandiose cities carrying water to houses, fountains, and public facilities like the baths. The Romans got water from rivers and wells which they then directed into the reservoirs or the aqueduct system. The baths built by the Romans perfected and most likely invented the heating system called the hypocaust. The word hypocaust means “burning underneath in Greek” (Soprintendenza, pp.34-39). The Roman baths were not merely a building with a single bathing area but a complex array of many different rooms each with their own purpose, several baths of different temperatures and sizes, and the most advanced heating system to come for many years.

The hypocaust system was truly an innovative approach to heating buildings made primarily of stone, the ...