1. Baths cities of Vesuvius.

2. General information/ Pompeii
Public bath's were a common feature in even the smallest of roman towns.
Public baths were open to all levels of class.( including slaves )
Men and women bathed separately
Bathes served as a place to have gatherings
Pompeii had 3 sets of public baths and many private ones.
Two major baths have been excavated in Herculaneum

3. Forum baths Pompeii
The forum baths lie at the intersection of the via del foro and the via delle thermae. The baths were built in the early years of the roman colony. Public funds were used by the duumvir Lucius Caesius and the adlies Caius Occius and Lucius niraemius. The layout of the forum baths seem to be based on the older Stabian baths. The compound was divided into two separate sections the praefurnium providing hot water and steam to both. The men's have three entrances (A), (B), (C). While the women's baths only had one (D). Entrance (A) leads straight into the apodyterium (F) (dressing room). The palaestra was used as a normal exercise area an the first area of the bathing process. They would then head to the tepidarium. It was set between the caldarium and the apodyterium. In the caldarium there was a large bath with at seat situated inside of it that would have aloud a dozen or so bathers to bath at one time. The final room in the bathing process was the fridgidarium (J), this room is accessed of the apodyterium. this is a domed room, in the centre of the room is a stepped tub that is used for cold baths this room is decorated with frescoes of garden scenes.
The entry to the women's baths leads straight in to the apodyterium (K) which then grants access to the fridgidarium (L) and the tepidarium (M) and caldarium(N)

4. Stabian baths
The reason the Stabian baths are named that due to them lying on the junction of the Via Sabiana and the via dell’Abondanza. They are the oldest baths in Pompeii. Four different phases can be identified, the oldest being from the 4th centaury BC it consisted of the palaestra and series of small rooms with tubs along the north side and a well to furnish water. The main entrance (A) is a wide doorway on the Via dell’Abondanza, this doorway opens into the palaestra (S) which has a colonnade. Men's baths, rooms (I)-(N) open of the south east corner by the way of the palaestra by way of vestibule(J) in the western end of the apodyterium (K). A door on the north side grants access to the fridgidarium(N) while a door on the right is a servant waiting area. The floors of the apodyterium and vestibule consist of rectangular slabs of grey marble, the walls are very plainly decorated in white with a lower red frieze, the vaulted ceiling ,in contrast are elaborately with polychrome stuccoes featuring Rossets cupids, trophies and bacchic figures. A door on the north side of the apodyterium leads to the next rooms involved in the bathing process the tepidarium(L) and caldarium (M) they would then enter the fridgidarium.

5. Suburban thermae Herculaneum
The suburban thermae appear to have been a gift to the town by the proconsul M. Nonius balbus whose memorial and statue stand in the terrace in front of the building. The main entrance (A) to the baths consist of a portal with half columns to support the tympanum. A flight of stairs leads down to the vestibule (B). Contrary to the central thermae, these baths didn’t look to be segregated and were possibly used alternately by both of the sexes. The vestibule gives access to all areas of the baths. In the north eastern corner of the vestibule a doorway © opens to a service area which gives access by way of a corridor to a private dwelling, house of the relief of telephus, this could possibly be property of the balbus family. Another service area on the southern side of the vestibule, this held the boilers for the caldarium. Between these rooms there is a large vaulted room that is a fridgidarium and a apodyterium. On the eastern side of the room is the cold bath. The door on the south side of the room opens on the tepidarium. On the western side of the tepidarium a door leads through to the caldarium.