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The Romans were as particular about cleanliness as we are in modern times.
This public bathhouse, known today as the Forum Baths because of its
location, was built soon after the Roman conquest in 80 B.C. The residents
of Pompeii, both slave and free, who lived in the neighborhood would bathe
here daily at public expense. This building was found well preserved when
excavated in 1823.
The above floor plan of the Forum Baths shows the area reserved for men in blue and the area for women in green. The various sections on the floor plan are as follows: A men's entrance. B women's entrance. 1 men's apodyterium, or dressing room. 2 frigidarium, or cold bath. 3 tepidarium, or warm bath. 4 calidarium, or hot bath. 5 palaestra, or gymnasium. 6 bronze brazier and seats. 7 basin for ablutions. 8 bathtub. 9 furnaces for air and water at different temperatures, serving the facilities for both men and women. 10 women's dressing room. 11 tub for cold bath. 12 tepidarium. 13 calidarium. 14 open-air courtyard. |
