A cherished ancient Roman ritualistic practice
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Deborah Chatr Aryamontri
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2023 1:44 PM
End Date
26-4-2023 2:45 PM
Description
Roman military, political, and social institutions were renowned throughout history. They expanded their native language, Latin, throughout most of Europe while also constructing roads and aqueducts. Towards the end of the third century B.C., Greeks brought bathing to Italy and since then, it became a common and structured practice among the Romans. The Romans would start at the Apodyterium, where they would strip and leave their attire under the guardianship of a slave or a servant. According to the article, the Romans would then proceed to the Palaestra, where they would work out and get their bodies oiled before going to the baths. They then went to the Tepidarium, a warm chamber, to recover after taking a cold dip in the Frigidarium, a freezing room. The Caldarium, a steamy area where a hot bath could be taken, was the last room. The servant would then use a strigil to scrape off all the oil from their skin. Romans were raised with the highest standards of hygiene, and the military had easy access to latrines and thermae in order to keep their bodies clean as well. In this presentation, I'll examine the Roman custom of bathing, which has grown to be both a known and popular practice throughout the Roman Empire and a symbol of cultural status.
A cherished ancient Roman ritualistic practice
Roman military, political, and social institutions were renowned throughout history. They expanded their native language, Latin, throughout most of Europe while also constructing roads and aqueducts. Towards the end of the third century B.C., Greeks brought bathing to Italy and since then, it became a common and structured practice among the Romans. The Romans would start at the Apodyterium, where they would strip and leave their attire under the guardianship of a slave or a servant. According to the article, the Romans would then proceed to the Palaestra, where they would work out and get their bodies oiled before going to the baths. They then went to the Tepidarium, a warm chamber, to recover after taking a cold dip in the Frigidarium, a freezing room. The Caldarium, a steamy area where a hot bath could be taken, was the last room. The servant would then use a strigil to scrape off all the oil from their skin. Romans were raised with the highest standards of hygiene, and the military had easy access to latrines and thermae in order to keep their bodies clean as well. In this presentation, I'll examine the Roman custom of bathing, which has grown to be both a known and popular practice throughout the Roman Empire and a symbol of cultural status.