Men In Baths

For the Romans, bathing was surely the most important of all the leisure activities. Nowadays bathing is a very private activity while in Roman times was a communal activity that resembled health clubs and modern spas. Bathing is considered a central event in every day life and this concept has its roots from the Roman world. They provided facilities for recreation and sports, apart from their normal hygienic functions. The proper environment was created by their public nature like a community or city club. Varying from business discussions to neighborhood gossip the Roman baths were favored especially for the social intercourse. There was even an intellectual  and cultural side of the baths since the promenades, , colonnades, lecture halls and incorporated libraries.

Wealthy Romans might set up a bath in their country villas and town houses. Balneae were privately owned but for a fee they were opened for the public. Here you could see men in baths enjoying the time. Thermae were called the large baths. The fees were reasonable and men had several activities , conversation and bathing after a little bit of sport. Facilities for women and men were separate. The custom was for the women to go to the bathhouse in the morning and the men in the afternoon.



Before entering the bathhouse, people had to go to the dressing room and store the clothes in the cabinets and niches. The slaves carried the clothes . The evidence show that men in baths were not completely undressed like the Greek did. To protect the feet from the heating floor they were special sandals. The relatively small Republican bathhouse has an efficient design. In the large outdoor pool they might also take a swim. Male bathers typically began their regimen with exercise after oiling their bodies and  changing clothes . The room had a large tub with cold water for neck or face and  hot water. Other rooms provided massage with perfumed oils, dry heat like a sauna and moist steam.

After their baths, patrons could buy a snack from the many food vendors, listen to a literary recital, watch performances, visit the library, stroll in the gardens. The bathhouses were luxury and beauty although the décor had not survived. Had silver faucets and fittings, colored marble panels, , lovely mosaics and high vaulted ceilings. By visiting these baths in Region III of V Roma enjoy a virtual bath.

The hypocaust was the ingenious system of heating. Pillars raised the floor of the ground and inside the walls the spaces were left inside so the hot air to circulate. Public latrines were also to be found in the bathhouses and had marble seats.

Although not as often as women do, men still have baths. And there is nothing to be ashamed of. Men usually take showers because they are permanently in a hurry or even when they aren’t,  they don’t have the patience to sit in a bath full of water and spend some quality time in there.

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