Romans Bath | Go Back
After a morning's work at the office or shop, most Roman's enjoyed spending the afternoon at the thermae or public bath. Men and women enjoyed coming to the baths not only to get clean but to meet with friends, exercise, or read at the library.

Generally, Romans would first go to the unctuarium where they had oil rubbed onto their skin and would then exercise in one of the exercise yards. From here they would move to the tepidarium or warm room where they would lie around chatting with their friends. Next, it was on to the caldarium, similar to a Turkish bath, hot and steamy. Here they sat and perspired, scraping their skin with a strigil, a curved metal tool. Attendants would serve them snacks and drinks. Finally came a dip in the calidarium (hot bath) and a quick dip in the frigidarium (cold bath). After swimming, the bather might enjoy a massage where he might have oils and perfumes rubbed into his skin.

Feeling clean and relaxed, the Roman might drift through the beautiful gardens decorated with mosaics and colossal scruptures or enjoy athletic events in a theaterlike rotunda. The largest of all Roman baths was the Diocletian, completed in A.D. 305 and covered an area of 130,000 sq. yards.

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