Roman Baths and Aqueducts

Roman Baths• One of the most important leisure activities.• Daily part of lives for men and women-no mixed

bathing.• Communal activity.• Like a modern day spa or health club.• Also held sports and recreation.• Public and private baths existed.• Small fee to use them was needed (women paid

a higher fee).• Workday was from sunrise to 2pm.

Carnine, Douglas and et al. World History. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2009.

How the baths worked

• Had a foundation of pillars.• Furnace was underneath the bath.• Hot air flowed around the pillars and heated

the rooms and water.• Latrines: marble seats over a channel of water

which had a continuous flow (like a modern toliet).

Routine

• Person would have dirt scraped off.• Then they would move from room to a

warmer room.• Would finish in a cold room.• Then would dry off in a steam room.• After a bath, a person would visit the garden,

library or watch a performance at the bath house.

Roman Aqueducts

• Aqueduct: artificial channel that carried fresh water from springs, streams, and lakes into Roman towns.

• Traveled through channels and pipes.• Most were underground though some were

supported by high arch bridges.• Rome had 10 great aqueducts running 260 miles.• Brought 1,000 litres a day for each person in

Rome (about a million people).

Aqueducts continued

• Most of the water brought in was for the public baths.

• Also the technology helped to build indoor plumbing and a sewer system.

Urban Problems• Overcrowded and noisy• Sanitation problems• Disease and pollution• Little to eat for most Romans• Huge difference between rich and poor. Poor

had difficulty finding jobs.• Poor people had homes with small rooms and no

running water or toilets. Trash was dropped out the window.

• Fire was common