Roman baths in ancient rome the moment of truth. Ancient Roman baths - arrangement, features, benefits and harms. Public baths in ancient Rome

As many experts note, Roman baths are much more effective than all other steam baths. The terms have practically no contraindications. The Roman steam room is perfect for hypertensive patients, and is also very useful for the female body. In the baths, purification takes place both on the physical and mental levels. Some claim to purify energy. This is so, because after the Roman steam room one feels a surge of strength, energy, the mood rises, and the skin becomes silky.

Preparing for the Roman bath ritual

It is essential to do a series of physical exercises in the beginning. They are a small warm-up with gentle slopes, stretching and stretching. This warm-up will warm up the body from the inside and prepare the muscle mass for relaxation. Take with you in a steam brush instead of a washcloth. A natural hair brush will allow you to deeply clean your skin as quickly and comfortably as possible. True, it will have to be changed often. Also prefer different oils to soap, as they are much more effective in cleansing the skin. This efficiency is due to the special molecular structure of the oils. They penetrate the pores extremely deeply and completely remove all the dirt accumulated by the skin. In addition, they do not create a harmful lipid layer. The most pronounced cleansing properties are found in olive, almond, sesame and castor oils.

Term visiting rules

In a Roman steam room, the temperature does not exceed 70-800C. This is very important because this gentle heat regimen helps the body to cleanse itself from the inside, ensuring maximum pore opening.

When starting bathing procedures, you need to remember certain rules.

1. For the entire time spent in the bath, there must be no more than three visits. And this rule must be strictly observed. The bottom line is that frequent visits to the steam room can cause dehydration.

2. The rule of 15 minutes. Each time you enter the steam room, you need to spend no more than 15 minutes, and the break between visits should be 20-30 minutes. This rule is dictated by the peculiarity of the work of the pores. Under the influence of different temperatures, they narrow and open, which allows the skin to cleanse properly.

4. You can visit the Roman bath as much as you like. There are no contraindications.

The history of Roman baths goes back to the very depths of the centuries, and the ancient world. Even in those distant times, people noticed that just bathing does not greatly contribute to maintaining health, and slightly different methods of taking water procedures are required. It was then that it became clear that not too high temperature and high humidity cleanse the body well and help fight diseases. However, it was not the Romans who thought of this, and not even the Greeks, but the Persians. True, this technology did not develop with them, but, having fallen into the hands of the ancient Romans, it found a new breath and became very widespread.

The device of the Roman bath

The device of the Roman bath has its own characteristics. Firstly, all elements and equipment of the bath are made of stone. Secondly, steam enters the room through specially left slots located along the entire perimeter of the steam room in the walls and ceiling.

The classic Roman bath, unlike many other types, consists of two steam rooms. The first one is low-temperature, called tepidarium. In this tepidarium, steam is not heated more than 40 degrees Celsius. The second steam room is called laconium, here the temperature regime is already much higher - up to 70 ° C.

Also, the Roman bath has two pools, one with cold water and the other with warm water. In warm water they “soften” before visiting the steam room, and in cold water they refresh themselves after the steam room.

Where to begin? Technology and materials

For the construction of a Roman bath on a personal plot, it is necessary to allocate a sufficiently large area, since in addition to the described premises, it is necessary to provide an additional room necessary for changing clothes. According to sanitary standards, the bathhouse must be at least 12 meters away from the house and other buildings. It is also necessary to provide for the most rational way to supply water and sewer pipes.

Brick is considered the best material for building the walls of a bath. The advantages of this material, first of all, include durability and non-combustibility, and the disadvantage is high thermal conductivity, which increases energy consumption for heating the room. Therefore, it is worth laying an additional layer of thermal insulation material. It is better to use ceramic tiles for interior decoration of "wet" rooms. Small tiles with a mosaic imitation will look especially stylish. The inner walls of the dressing room can be sheathed with clapboard.

The foundation for the construction of the building is laid to a depth of about a meter. The outer walls are usually laid out in two bricks, and the inner partitions can be made quite thin.

The heating system for a Roman bath can be used in completely different ways. If it is possible to use a centralized system, good, but otherwise the local system will do. It will be necessary to provide a floor heating system, because in the winter, a cold floor in a bath is in no way suitable. Rooms with pools, among other things, should be equipped with warm walls.

Bath equipment, benches and couches are also built of bricks, the top layer is tiled with ceramic tiles, this is necessary to give them an aesthetic appearance and hygiene. To make it comfortable to rest on such a lounger, you should also arrange its internal heating, which can be connected to the floor and wall heating system.

August 4, 2018

Among the most popular and visited places by the Romans were monumental public buildings for sanitary purposes. Roman baths were intended not only for performing water procedures, but also were the main tool of socialization. The Romans often visited the baths in order to chat, make new acquaintances, play sports, solve any problems and just have fun in a pleasant atmosphere.

From the second century BC, the ancient baths in Rome became more and more important in the lives of citizens and represented one of the main meeting places during the time of the Empire. Such a success of public baths was due to the fact that absolutely all segments of the population had access to them. In addition, visiting the baths in ancient times was completely free.

The most valuable example of the architecture of Roman baths, preserved in Rome in relatively good condition, is the thermal complex built by Emperor Caracalla in the second decade of the 3rd century, as well as the grandiose baths of Diocletian, erected at the beginning of the 4th century. Both thermal complexes are striking in their size: the first occupied an area of \u200b\u200babout 11 hectares, the second - about 16! On the territory there were bathing halls, where there were baths with water of different temperatures, sports grounds and premises for various purposes: for massage procedures, for playing ball, wrestling, library buildings and even pagan sanctuaries. Roman baths were like entire cities, where everyone could find something to their liking.

The architecture of the Roman baths

The architectural perfection achieved in the construction of Roman thermal structures is confirmed by the fact that their model was repeatedly reproduced during the construction of thermal baths even in the most remote regions of the Empire: symmetric planimetry and adherence to the sequence of the location of certain premises became the starting point for the design of new bathing establishments.

Thermal complex of Caracalla in Rome

The surviving ruins of Roman baths, in particular the remains of the complexes of the Terme of Caracalla and Diocletian, as well as artistic reproductions and some written evidence, allow you to restore the planimetry of ancient baths and get acquainted with their design features.

The impressive size of the antique health centers, the monumentality of their interiors and the richness of the interior decoration, contrasted sharply with the exterior of the ancient baths, which was distinguished by uncommon simplicity and the absence of facades as such. Inside, these grandiose complexes were a brilliant architectural and technological structure, demonstrating the high ingenuity, experience of architects and engineers of that time.

Ancient baths - structural features

The typical structure of the ancient Roman baths involved a sequential arrangement of bathing rooms. Before getting to the thermal complex, it was necessary to pass apodyterium - a room used as a dressing room. It housed stone benches, and in the walls there were special niches where personal belongings could be left.

A room for undressing in Roman baths. Pompeii

The changing room was followed by rooms with humid heated air, intended to prepare the rest for further procedures.
After that, bathers fell into calidarium (from Latin calidus - "hot") - a room for taking hot baths. The room could be round or rectangular. Baths, as a rule, were installed along its perimeter. In some baths, the calidarium had one large bath in the central part of the room. The floor and walls were heated using a unique steam heating system - hypocaust.

Heating system used in ancient Rome

The air in the calidarim was hot and humid. The room itself was located in the southern or southwestern part of the complex, which made it possible to additionally use solar heat for heating the room. It is not known exactly what the temperature was in the calidarium, but according to the researchers' assumptions, most likely it did not exceed 50-55 ° C.

The room next to the calidarium was called tepidarium (from Latin tepidus - "warm"). This hall was smaller than the previous one, it housed baths with warm water, and the average air temperature was maintained. The tepidarium was designed to gradually cool the body and prepare it for subsequent water procedures. After the tepidarium followed frigidarium (from Latin frigídus - "cold"), equipped with small baths with cold water. This hall opened onto a wide swimming pool - natatio - the final point of the bathing cycle.

Graphic reconstruction of the Thermal complex of Karakala

After that, visitors to the Roman baths moved on to the premises located on the sides of the central axis of the thermal complex. Among them, the main role was played by gyms: large courtyards dedicated to physical activity. In addition, the Romans paid great attention to all kinds of body care procedures. The thermal baths housed massage rooms and rooms for anointing with oils.

In addition to the aforementioned halls, the structure of the thermal complex included halls for reflection, conversation and relaxation. Almost every health center had a library.
On the territory of such grandiose complexes as the Baths of Caracalla or Domitian, one could see small theaters, shops, gardens with fountains and avenues, monumental sculptures and much more.

The interior of the Roman baths. Graphic reconstruction

Ancient Roman Baths - Thermal Practices

The main feature of the Roman baths was the combination of bathing and physical activity. It was these components that were considered the guarantee of good health in ancient times. Thermal treatments were based on the alternation of heat and cold: subjecting the body to temperature changes, blood circulation was stimulated, which promoted the regeneration of the body. This therapy worked especially well after profuse sweating, which is why physical activity was closely associated with hydrotherapy.

The architecture of the Roman baths perfectly matched the need to combine thermal treatments and sports exercise, allowing the visitor to combine as they see fit required types activities to achieve the best result.

Games in Roman baths

The best start to thermal practice, based on the recommendations of the doctors of the time, was to visit the gym for exercise and sweating. After that, it was possible to start hydrotherapy. Quite large areas were allocated for sports activities, which allowed visitors to engage in various disciplines. One of the most difficult, undoubtedly, was the fight. The competitors rubbed themselves with oils, which caused a lot of inconvenience to the enemy in the fight.

From a physical point of view, ball games were simpler, of which there were several types: some assumed the use of balls filled with sand, others - balls with down. In addition, in gyms the Romans organized competitions in fist fights, weight lifting, etc. Women loved to play games based on running.

Cleansing with a strigel

After exercising, the Romans began the cleansing process. For this, the ancient inhabitants used the so-called special tool - the shear - a sickle-shaped metal scraper, intended for scraping off sweat and dirt. Usually slaves were involved in this process.

Shear - a device for cleansing the skin

Illustration of the process of cleansing the skin with a shear

Hydrotherapy and relaxation

After cleansing the body with a strigil, the Romans began water procedures, passing through all the premises of the Roman baths in succession: from the locker room to the swimming pool. Rested from the sweat room, visitors moved on to calidarium for relaxing hot baths and enveloping steam. The tepidarium served as a transitional stage on the way to swimming in cold water. After hydrotherapy, the Romans could enjoy a lot of massage treatments and relax in designated areas, chat about pressing matters, discuss political issues, or just read.

Visitors to the Roman Baths

Baths played an important role for the Romans, being an element of everyday life: low or no entry fees to thermal complexes allowed everyone, without exception, to enjoy water procedures and have a good time. Men and women of all ages and different class backgrounds attended the Roman baths to recuperate body and spirit. The famous phrase "A healthy mind in a healthy body" in Latin sounds like "Mens sana in corpore sano". It belongs to the Roman poet and satirist Decimus Junius Juvenal. It was with this phrase that he claimed that he owed his physical and mental health to thermal practices.

Let's start with the most historically widespread species in Russia. A Russian bath is, as a rule, a wooden house with two rooms. The dressing room is used for rest and dressing, and the second room is a steam room. In Russian baths, stoves are installed - heaters that give dry steam. To increase the humidity, hot stones are doused with water or herbal decoctions. An integral attribute of a Russian bath is a broom. It serves as a means of cleansing and healing. It is at the moment of whipping that the blood circulation processes are intensified, and dead skin flakes are exfoliated. The steam room is always equipped with a ladder of shelves, each of which has a different temperature level. The higher, the hotter.

They build Russian baths from the most different breeds wood: pine, spruce, aspen, cedar, larch, oak. Well, the most popular brooms are, of course, birch and oak. The greatest effect when using a bath is provided by contrast therapy. The combination of heat and cold improves blood circulation and flushes toxins from the body. In winter, you can use the nearest snowdrift for this, and in summer a pond or pool. If there is nothing like that nearby perfect option - doused bucket.

Finnish sauna

Its device is not much different from the Russian one. The same wooden structure (only the Finns give preference to light types of wood) with two rooms: a dressing room (slightly wider and larger than in a Russian bath) and the steam room itself. As in the Russian version, a stone stove is used for heating. The main difference between a sauna and a bath is the temperature level and greater dryness of the steam. The operating mode of Finnish saunas can reach 80-105⁰С, the humidity is kept at the level of 3-15%. It is the dryness of the steam that allows it to withstand high temperatures. In the sauna, as a rule, you can stay longer than in the bath. The recommended period of entering the steam room in the sauna is from 8 to 12 minutes, and in the bath from 5 to 10. However, the taste and color of a friend is not there, so no one forbids putting the park in the sauna.

Modern saunas are often equipped with an electric stove. Compact dimensions with a high-quality ability to warm up the room make electric sauna stoves popular. In fact, they make it possible to build baths that are very small in size, which can even be accommodated in an apartment.

Turkish hamam

This is a completely different type of bath. First, it is a stone building. Secondly, heat is supplied from below, from under the floor. A traditional hammam assumes a stay of up to 1.5 hours, without fail, ending with a massage. Corridors lead from the central room to steam rooms with different temperatures. The essence of the process is to gradually move from a cooler room to a slightly warmer one. Then the visitors are escorted to the soap room. There they lie on a high marble table, where the attendants use special gloves to exfoliate and then massage them into foam. After a dip in the refreshing pool, you will be taken to the relaxation room, where you can relax on a couch, have a cup of tea and get ready for the final stage of spa treatments - a massage with special essential oils.

The Turkish bath is considered mild, the temperature here does not rise above 50⁰С. Therefore, hammam is often advised for beginners.

Roman term

One of the most ancient types of baths. In fact, the terms are the prototypes of Turkish hamams. They are also stone structures with central heating and heated floors and walls. The modern Roman bath features marble rooms with heated marble loungers. Terma was divided into separate rooms, which had to be visited sequentially. They were called: caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium.

The modern Caldarium is a ceramic tiled space with heated floors and a large bathtub with water. The humidity in the caldarium is kept at 80-100%, the temperature is 37-45 37С. The room, as a rule, is filled with aromas of essential oils of useful herbs and plants. Great importance is attached to design; it is customary to decorate caldariums in warm colors, placing picturesque paintings from the life of Ancient Rome on the walls.

Tepidarium is a room with dry warm air. The temperature here, as well as in the caldarium, is maintained at 37-45⁰С, but the humidity is much lower, only 30%. The tepidarium is equipped with marble lounges and armchairs. Heating, as in all rooms of Roman baths, is carried out from below. The tepidarium is comfortable for a fairly long stay. After visiting it, the body will require moisture replenishment.

Frigidarium is a cool room with a pool, which is transferred after visiting the tepidarium and caldarium to refresh and relax.

What's the bottom line?

The variety of baths is not limited to the list of baths, saunas, hamam and thermal baths. There are Japanese sento baths, Moroccan hammams, and infrared saunas in the world.

It's best to experience the bathing traditions yourself different countries, choose your favorite and finally get your own.

The Romans are the ancestors of all modern baths. These establishments in those days were quite in demand and popular. Later, the idea of \u200b\u200ba bath was adopted by other nationalities around the globe.

The history of the bath in ancient Rome

Roman baths were created in the likeness of the thermal baths among the Greeks, they were erected at large buildings. The approximate date of their origin is the 3rd century BC. However, Greek baths gained massive popularity after their appearance in. Thanks to the inhabitants of the Eternal City, other countries began to borrow the project for the construction of baths.

The importance of public baths in ancient Rome

In the Roman baths, public and social life cities, they had a special significance. The Romans came here not only to cleanse their bodies. They spent their leisure time in the thermal baths, communicated, exchanged news and opinions on important topics. There were absolutely all strata of society: local celebrities, nobles, rich people, ordinary citizens and the poor. Most likely, for this reason, the number of public baths grew every year, because bath in ancient Rome is a kind of center of culture and recreation. Only a few Roman citizens could afford to build a thermal bath at home. Baths in Rome included not only washing facilities, but also for other events. There were libraries, entertainment rooms, and gymnasiums — exercise rooms.

The device of Roman baths in ancient Rome

The Roman bath is a huge building made of stone, it could accommodate 3 thousand people. Its microclimate is unique: low temperature combined with high humidity. Such features had a beneficial effect on the body, so there were practically no contraindications. The baths contained several separate rooms: the apoditherium for the wardrobe, the caldarium for the hot room, the tepidarium for the cool one, and the frigidarium for the cold one. There were also massage rooms. The engineering thought of the ancient Romans amazes today's scientists, because the design of the terms, called hypocaust, is unique even by modern standards. The baths were equipped with a pipe system that was designed to transport water from a thermal spring. A special oven was used to heat the floor and water.