To some, the very idea of taking a mass communal bath with all of your friends and family, while also completely naked, might be the substance of nightmares for our bodily conservative minds.
To the ancient Roman, however, this concept of communal bathing would not have been so foreign. The Roman practice of public bathing was both a preventative and curative measure for various ailments, as well as a place of worship in some cases, but it was also a social activity, one that enabled social mixing between the classes.
Garret. G Fagan explores both similarities and differences between modern examples of communal bathing habits ranging from Finnish saunas, Japanese sentos, as well as Islamic baths or hammams. (p.2-3)
Yet despite the vast range of written evidence, no ancient writer writes explicitly and in detail of the Roman baths, and usually do so in sometimes frustratingly allusive glimpses, often these sources themselves fail to connect entirely with one another. (p.8) Not to mention the issue of typicality, which notes that across the thousand-year span of the Roman empire, the Roman bathing habits hardly stayed constant and everchanging. [p.8] This is, of course, always important to bear in mind when mentioning the term 'Ancient Rome' and 'Ancient Roman', as observed by Hilary Cool in her discussion of 'Eating Habits' in Roman Britain and the conception of 'Roman Cuisine.' There is no static nor distinctly stable convention of Ancient Roman Culture, and looking upon history with full observation of the nuances of its culture is crucial in order to derive any benefit from it.
Having said this, archaeological evidence of Bathhouses through Rome and its empire act as testament to their cultural significance, Fagan observes that Baths are found in almost every type of Roman settlement, from Military garrisons to small village hamlets. [1] An example of such would be remarkably well-preserved 'Thermae' in the city of Bath, Somerset. Although closed at the moment due to Covid 19 restrictions, the Roman Baths of Bath have put up a virtual walkthrough of their premises on their website. Not to mention, they have excellent 3D imagery of artefacts available on their website to explore. The Museum has also implemented elements of VR experience in its 'projections, soundscapes and CGI reconstructions' of the East Bath area of the Roman paths. Furthermore, there are plenty of videos to discover available on YouTube and the website. One that is particular insightful is this one that explores the Roman Baths through the gravemarkings and burials.
The Romans Baths are one of the best-preserved Roman sites north of the Alps, and contains a Sacred Spring, one of two of the only truly classical temples known from Roman Brtiain, as well as large hot spa-pools and East and West Baths. This Baths was a religious space, in worship of the goddess 'Sulis Minerva', a deity of healing powers. The Romans took this name of the Celtic Goddess, Sulis, of whom was worshipped on the hot spring before their invasion.
The name of the town was Acqae Sulis, which is Latin for Waters of Sulis. The natural thermal heating phenomena of the hot spring ranging over thousands of years was believed to be the work of the gods.
The Roman Baths were incorporated into British Medieval Legend with that of the tale of Bladud, father of King Lear, who, upon seeing pigs bathe in warm-mud springs and be cured of ailments, attempted it itself and cured his leprosy. Regarding it as a sacred miracle, Bladud went on to become King of Briton and founded the city of Bath, supposedly 900 years before the Romans arrived.
The Roman sculptures shown below on the Terrace were, in fact, inserted before the grand opening of the Roman Baths in 1897. It is interesting to note, The Baths we're seeing are both Romano-British archeological ruins but also Victorian insertions of their own Roman Aesthetic. You can see Victorian and Georgian influences permeate into the architecture we see today.
Resources:
By Patricia Southern
Bathing in Public in the Roman World
By Garrett G. Fagan
Roman Baths in Britain
By Ian D. Rotherham
Other People exploring Bath:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzIn0hn4SWI (Exploring Epic Roman Bath Ruins (Bath, England)
https://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/stones/romanbaths.shtml (Really cool travel blog full of information.)
https://youtu.be/mcfp5ZoK4wM (The Roman baths are emptied twice a year due to Algae formation. It wouldn't normally have happened in Ancient Roman Times due to there having been a roof, preventing sun spawning algae growth within. The Victorians, however, removed the roof in their 19th century excavations.)
https://youtu.be/k4qVbOvh27M ([4K] BATH ENGLAND Walking Tour | Full Tour of Bath UK - Roman Baths, The Abbey & Royal Crescent)
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