Ancient Romans: What Did They Do in Public Baths?

The publicae latrinae of the Romans were not just a place to take care of them physiological needsbut they were so extraordinarily ingenious and hospitable that they eventually became a place to do? conversation without any shame.

Public toilets, although they were invented by Greek Civilizationonly left in the Imperial Rome. These structures were widespread in the urban area and were accessible to all Roman citizens. In 315d.C. there were more than 4,000 places spread over 144 points of the city.

Since the baths were free or almost free and consisted of large rooms that can accommodate 30 or 40 people on marble benches (sellae pertusae), with holes and slits corresponding to the intimate parts, arranged in a horseshoe and including a channel d ‘ running water carried the fecal material to the Cloaca Maxima.

Karl Wilhelm Weeber, German historian

Men, women and children sat side by side and could use sponges attached to poles to clean themselves. THE private bathrooms existed only in the patrician domus, the others had three options: throw the solid waste out of the house bucket, pour the puddle into the pots or vespasiansie urinals on the street.