Roman Baths
Very few Roman houses had a bathroom, so most people made a daily trip to the public
bath-house. But a visit to the bath house involved much more than a good wash.
The most impressive Baths were those built by Emperor Caracalla,which could hold up to
1600 people at the time.
The baths were usually open from mid-morning until sunset, and most Romans went every
day. Women went in the morning and men in the afternoon.
The Entrance to the baths was extremely cheap, especially for men, who were only charged
a quadrans smallest Roman coin. Women had to pay four times that amount, but children
got in free. Wealthy politicians sometimes tried to win votes by paying everyone's fees for a
day.
A Typical visit to the Baths
Palaestra
Before bathing, men and women would often go to the palaestra. The palaestra was an
open-air area covered in sand. Several games were played, including:
bowling, which was played along a paved alley.
, boxing either a punch-bag filled with flour or clay, or each other
Discus
Running
Trigon, which involved rolling a metal hoop by pushing it with a hooked stick
Wrestling
Apodyterium
The apodyterium was the changing room. This room often had stone or wooden benches
with holes in the walls where the bathers could put their clothes. Wealthy Romans would
Very few Roman houses had a bathroom, so most people made a daily trip to the public
bath-house. But a visit to the bath house involved much more than a good wash.
The most impressive Baths were those built by Emperor Caracalla,which could hold up to
1600 people at the time.
The baths were usually open from mid-morning until sunset, and most Romans went every
day. Women went in the morning and men in the afternoon.
The Entrance to the baths was extremely cheap, especially for men, who were only charged
a quadrans smallest Roman coin. Women had to pay four times that amount, but children
got in free. Wealthy politicians sometimes tried to win votes by paying everyone's fees for a
day.
A Typical visit to the Baths
Palaestra
Before bathing, men and women would often go to the palaestra. The palaestra was an
open-air area covered in sand. Several games were played, including:
bowling, which was played along a paved alley.
, boxing either a punch-bag filled with flour or clay, or each other
Discus
Running
Trigon, which involved rolling a metal hoop by pushing it with a hooked stick
Wrestling
Apodyterium
The apodyterium was the changing room. This room often had stone or wooden benches
with holes in the walls where the bathers could put their clothes. Wealthy Romans would
