The Bathing Ritual
Bathing in Rome was a way of life and grew in popularity as the the Roman Republic transformed into an empire. At the height of popularity, there were as many as 900 bathhouses in operation. Bathing played a major part in Roman culture. In Ancient Rome, elegant men were described at lauteus, which translates to "well washed." The baths not only functioned as a means to be hygienic but also provided various facilities for sports and recreations. Bathhouses were a very lively place. It was often found that a great deal of business discussion took place, thus demonstrating that there was an intellectual side to the baths. Some bathhouses incorporated libraries and lecture halls. Small bathhouses, balneae, were sometimes privately owned but were still open to the public upon receiving a fee from the patron. In Roman bathhouses, it was considered poor taste for men and women to bathe together ; so, men and women would have a designated time to visit the bathhouse. For instance, women may have been allowed in the bathhouses in the morning while men were allowed only at night; however, this didn't always happen. Women who were worried about their image refrained from coming to the bathhouses at night when men were present, but others women, such as prostitutes, found this timing to be beneficial to do their trading. Moreover, in public bathhouses, thermae, woman were charged a higher fee for using the facilities compared to men.
Once changed for exercise, Roman citizens would enter the palaestra, or a central courtyard, where they would play ball, lift weights, run, or even play dice games with the other guest. Afterwards, the proper bathing would begin. The bathing ritual in itself was elaborate and consisted of many steps. When at the bathhouse, Roman citizens would visit different rooms in a specific order. When Roman citizens first entered the complex, they would pay a fee. They would then retreat to the dressing room, known as the apodyterium, where they would remove their clothing and give it to a slave, either their own or one employed by the bathhouse. The next step in the ritual of bathing was to enter the frigidarium, a cold pool, in order to refresh the body. Roman citizens would then enter the tepidarium, a warm pool, and then proceed to the caldarium, a hot bath that served a similar purpose to modern saunas. After sweating out impurities, the bathers would have a slave massage their bodies with olive oil. The olive oil would then then be scraped off with a metal implement known as a strigil. The bathers would then retreat back to the tepidarium to socialize and relax. For instance, patrons would buy snacks from local vendors, or walk through the gardens ;they may also listen to recitals or watch performances of acrobats. The bathhouses were a very sociable place to be.
Once changed for exercise, Roman citizens would enter the palaestra, or a central courtyard, where they would play ball, lift weights, run, or even play dice games with the other guest. Afterwards, the proper bathing would begin. The bathing ritual in itself was elaborate and consisted of many steps. When at the bathhouse, Roman citizens would visit different rooms in a specific order. When Roman citizens first entered the complex, they would pay a fee. They would then retreat to the dressing room, known as the apodyterium, where they would remove their clothing and give it to a slave, either their own or one employed by the bathhouse. The next step in the ritual of bathing was to enter the frigidarium, a cold pool, in order to refresh the body. Roman citizens would then enter the tepidarium, a warm pool, and then proceed to the caldarium, a hot bath that served a similar purpose to modern saunas. After sweating out impurities, the bathers would have a slave massage their bodies with olive oil. The olive oil would then then be scraped off with a metal implement known as a strigil. The bathers would then retreat back to the tepidarium to socialize and relax. For instance, patrons would buy snacks from local vendors, or walk through the gardens ;they may also listen to recitals or watch performances of acrobats. The bathhouses were a very sociable place to be.