The Stabian Baths
Fact: As businessmen finished work early, they bathed in the middle of the morning, when the water was at its hottest. Traders and shopkeepers following in the early afternoon. Most baths closed at sunset.
1. The Palaestra was an exercise yard used for jogging, wrestling, weightlifting, ball games, and mock fencing matches (with wooden swords so no harm came)
2. The Natatio is a large outdoor pool people used to exercise and relax 3. The Entrance hall was used to meet people and was located at the front of the Stabian baths 4. The Frigidarium; formerly a hot sweating room, laconicum was a small room usually separated from each gender that had a cold pool in the centre, which was used to open the pores of the skin. 5. The Apodyterium was a large undressing room and the primary entry of the public baths, lined with cubicles or shelves that people could store their belongings in. 6. The Tepidarium was the warm bathroom of the Roman Baths heated by a hypocaust or underfloor heating system. 7. The Caldarium was a hot room that reached temperatures of sixty degrees. The idea was that the heat opened the pores and you then went and washed your sweat off in the nearby pool, do get there however you must cross the scalding hot floor, to protect your feet you had to wear wooden clogs. 8. The Furnaces were located between the two caldaria the small room contained three large cylindrical boilers (one for warm, one for hot and one for very hot water) these can still be seen today. 9. the Women's Apodyterium was a large undressing room for women and contain cubicles and shelving for the people to leave their belongings whilst they bathe. 10. the Women's Tepidarium is the warm bathing room in the Baths with an underfloor heating system 11. the Women's Caladarium is the hot bathing room that reaches up to sixty degrees and had a dangerously hot floor temperature 12. the Latrine is the toilet complex of the Stabian baths that were located rather north of the baths themselves. The layout of the complex consisted of a gulley trench bordering the edge of the room, which formed a latrine and took the sewage away. 13. the supervisors office is located just around the border of the north side of the Palaestra, this was a sparsely furnished room. 14. Individual 'hip-bath' rooms were simply singular cubicles that were where people could go to bath sitting down. |
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Analysis
There were three large public baths at Pompeii: The Forum baths, the Stabian baths and the Central Baths, which at the time of the eruption were still being built. Roman baths are noisy places. The writer Seneca who lived above one, complained about people singing in the bath at the tops of their voices and shouting as they splashed about in the water. Pompeians, in the same way as different romans, went to the baths to unwind and loosen up after a long morning's work. Aside from washing and showering, they could talk with companions, contend about legislative issues, take care of business, play games, or exercise. Also, if they worked up an appetite, they could purchase refreshments from sellers offering cakes, hot sausages, and beverages. The Stabian Baths, at the meeting of Pompeii's two main roads, the via dell'Abbondanza and the via Stabiana, was the largest of all three baths. In the earthquake that occurred in the time of AD62 these baths were badly damaged only allowing access to the women's quarters. The Stabian baths were only two blocks far from insult six, because of its location most of the locals would've come to take their daily bath here. |
Female and male only were areas sectioned off far from one another, with females bathrooms, baths and latrines less lavishly decorated than the males suggesting that sexism could've been apparent in this time also. In the mens section on the Western side, the rooms are decked with beautiful Pompeiian art and decorations that seemed to lack throughout the females section. Often if there were no separate rooms in the baths for each gender females would bathe in the morning and men would proceed to bathe in the evening.
Men could enter the baths from the main entrance at the front of the building or had the choice to enter through and alternative door set aside on the west side of the building for specifically men only, the main entrance lead strait to the Palaestra an open exercise area, and the mens changing room to the left of them (called the apodyterium). If they chose to exercise, they could play several different games but the most popular was a form of bowling because of the open paved alley. The props for these games were kept at the far end of the room. Next to this space was the office of the baths manager. Water exercise was also possible, as the pool was only about 1.2m deep.
Mainly men were encouraged to be able to swim, but usually in the sea or a river. Near this was the north block of the baths. This is where the public toilets were located. Above this was a large water tank, which used to be filled by a treadmill controlling two water wheels which drew water from a well. Later the water was passed through an aqueduct, this shows the improvement in the ancient Roman’s engineering skills.
Once, if men had chosen to exercise and had worked up a sweat they could now progress on to the mens changing rooms then there would be massaged and scraped down by slaves, mainly females. Then, if they wanted to they were able to move on to wash off again in the shallow heated baths. This is important evidence as we can see a routine. Ancient Romans liked to be clean and knew that part of being healthy is staying clean and fit, which is why the Baths were an area of high socialisation.
The womens baths however were only able to be entered by two corridors coming from the west and the east side. These two passages, on the other hand, only led to the changing rooms, and from that point on you would need to navigate your own way or another around the baths. To begin with, the womens' showers were separate from the mens. Later on however, a hallway was placed in, which gave access to the palaestra. This passage may have been the womens' exercise area, or it could have been an service passageway which was locked during working hours. The men's showers were damaged after the earthquake of 62AD, however the womens' showers remained in place and in great condition. When it was excavated, the changing room still had its rooftop. The tiles on the wall additionally survived, and this lets us know about the kind of beautification and craftsmanship that was mainstream during antiquated Roman times. They were richly decorated, and the showers were frequently made out of marble or mosaics. The hot shower was found toward the end of the womens' hot room. The Romans engineering abilities and cleverness again indicated in the way they warmed these showers. At the right end of the bath, there was a semi-round opening. Inside, a compartment sat instantly over the channel driving from the furnace. As the water in the bath cooled, it sunk and wound up in the compartment, where it repeats and rises once more. This makes a permanent system of water warming. The bath itself held around eight people. You could bathe without anyone else in individual bronze tubs, or bathe with others.
Conclusion
The baths were very much a luxurious aspect of life, and despite the fact that they were open for everybody including slaves, just the rich or higher class had a tendency to visit them every day. These baths have been significant in understanding every day life in ancient Rome as they demonstrate the social structure of the people who went to there. Men were obviously higher up than women, as their baths had a larger number of spaces and zones of significance than the women's. Numerous slaves worked there, and they held the activity and washing gear for the occupants, for example, bathing garments, shoes, toiletries and material towels. Their toiletries were secured in a metal box, which held oils and perfumes, a wipe and metal blades called strigils which were utilized for scrapping excess oil off the body. The ladies wore swimming outfits and the men wore tunics, kilts or material wraps. Although these days bathing is generally a private action, from the remaining parts of the Pompeian baths it is clear that it was an important leisurely activities for old Romans. Their baths would take after a present day spa or health club today, despite the fact that the ancient baths were a considerably lower price, only costing little, however women's fees were double the price as mens. The showers would predominantly be used after 2:00pm, when work was done. Most men went to the baths and stayed for a long time, investing their time working out, talking and obviously, washing. After that, they would be tired and ready to go home and have dinner. This shows how bathing was a vital part of day to day life for the ancient Romans, as it took up a decent portion of time from their everyday lives, and the preservation of this bath helps us to analyse these points - without the encasement caused by volcanic matter the baths would most probably not exist today and we wouldn't have any evidence to go by, only assumptions.
Men could enter the baths from the main entrance at the front of the building or had the choice to enter through and alternative door set aside on the west side of the building for specifically men only, the main entrance lead strait to the Palaestra an open exercise area, and the mens changing room to the left of them (called the apodyterium). If they chose to exercise, they could play several different games but the most popular was a form of bowling because of the open paved alley. The props for these games were kept at the far end of the room. Next to this space was the office of the baths manager. Water exercise was also possible, as the pool was only about 1.2m deep.
Mainly men were encouraged to be able to swim, but usually in the sea or a river. Near this was the north block of the baths. This is where the public toilets were located. Above this was a large water tank, which used to be filled by a treadmill controlling two water wheels which drew water from a well. Later the water was passed through an aqueduct, this shows the improvement in the ancient Roman’s engineering skills.
Once, if men had chosen to exercise and had worked up a sweat they could now progress on to the mens changing rooms then there would be massaged and scraped down by slaves, mainly females. Then, if they wanted to they were able to move on to wash off again in the shallow heated baths. This is important evidence as we can see a routine. Ancient Romans liked to be clean and knew that part of being healthy is staying clean and fit, which is why the Baths were an area of high socialisation.
The womens baths however were only able to be entered by two corridors coming from the west and the east side. These two passages, on the other hand, only led to the changing rooms, and from that point on you would need to navigate your own way or another around the baths. To begin with, the womens' showers were separate from the mens. Later on however, a hallway was placed in, which gave access to the palaestra. This passage may have been the womens' exercise area, or it could have been an service passageway which was locked during working hours. The men's showers were damaged after the earthquake of 62AD, however the womens' showers remained in place and in great condition. When it was excavated, the changing room still had its rooftop. The tiles on the wall additionally survived, and this lets us know about the kind of beautification and craftsmanship that was mainstream during antiquated Roman times. They were richly decorated, and the showers were frequently made out of marble or mosaics. The hot shower was found toward the end of the womens' hot room. The Romans engineering abilities and cleverness again indicated in the way they warmed these showers. At the right end of the bath, there was a semi-round opening. Inside, a compartment sat instantly over the channel driving from the furnace. As the water in the bath cooled, it sunk and wound up in the compartment, where it repeats and rises once more. This makes a permanent system of water warming. The bath itself held around eight people. You could bathe without anyone else in individual bronze tubs, or bathe with others.
Conclusion
The baths were very much a luxurious aspect of life, and despite the fact that they were open for everybody including slaves, just the rich or higher class had a tendency to visit them every day. These baths have been significant in understanding every day life in ancient Rome as they demonstrate the social structure of the people who went to there. Men were obviously higher up than women, as their baths had a larger number of spaces and zones of significance than the women's. Numerous slaves worked there, and they held the activity and washing gear for the occupants, for example, bathing garments, shoes, toiletries and material towels. Their toiletries were secured in a metal box, which held oils and perfumes, a wipe and metal blades called strigils which were utilized for scrapping excess oil off the body. The ladies wore swimming outfits and the men wore tunics, kilts or material wraps. Although these days bathing is generally a private action, from the remaining parts of the Pompeian baths it is clear that it was an important leisurely activities for old Romans. Their baths would take after a present day spa or health club today, despite the fact that the ancient baths were a considerably lower price, only costing little, however women's fees were double the price as mens. The showers would predominantly be used after 2:00pm, when work was done. Most men went to the baths and stayed for a long time, investing their time working out, talking and obviously, washing. After that, they would be tired and ready to go home and have dinner. This shows how bathing was a vital part of day to day life for the ancient Romans, as it took up a decent portion of time from their everyday lives, and the preservation of this bath helps us to analyse these points - without the encasement caused by volcanic matter the baths would most probably not exist today and we wouldn't have any evidence to go by, only assumptions.