1. The Roman Baths

2. The Roman Bathing Process bathers would have the dirt and oil scraped from their bodies with a Strigil. Then the bathing began. Accompanied by a slave carrying their towels, oil flasks and strigils, bathers would progress at a leisurely pace through rooms of various temperature. warm room ( tepidarium ) hot bath ( caldarium ) spend some time in the tepidarium again finishing in the cold room ( frigidarium ). Other rooms provided moist steam or dry heat like a sauna ( laconicum ), and a massage with perfumed oils.

3. The Roman Baths – Bath, England A reconstructed image of the baths and surrounding area from about 200 CE (AD) Spring used by Romans as early as about 5 CE

4. The Sacred Spring Center of Temple Sulis Minerva (deity with healing powers) About 1 million litres a day rises from the spring, at 46 degrees Celsius Offerings thrown into the spring Enclosed with barrel vaulted ceiling in about 200 CE (AD)

5. The Roman Temple Corinthian columns sit before the cella (main temple chamber) where a statue of Sulis Minerva was located Point of worship until about 391 CE Emperor Theodosius closed pagan temples throughout the empire

6. The Temple Courtyard This was a place of worship and sacrifice ceremonies took place around the great altar In one corner the Sacred Spring poured out a supply of hot water that was more than enough to serve the huge baths complex to the south.

7. The Bathing Complex Completely out of proportion to size of town Meant to service needs of locals, and travelers/pilgrims Great Bath - Iaconicum - - Circular Bath - West Baths - Sacred Spring

8. The Great Bath 1.6 meters deep Lined with 45 lead sheets Heated water pumped directly from the Sacred Spring Luxurious warm swim enjoyed by many locals on a regular basis Ceiling changed around 200 CE

9. The East Baths East baths were more tepid (pipes ran from Great Bath) Series of heated rooms developed = Roman invention called the Hypocaust Hot steam pumped through crawlspaces beneath supported floors (seen here) Decorated walls added as modern part of the museum

10. The West Baths Contain well preserved Pilae – piles of tiles that supported floor Heated rooms and plunge pools East and West Bath similarities could allow simultaneous (but separate) use of the baths by both men and women

11. The Iaconicum Small room of extreme dry heat Could be like a sauna with addition of a splash of water Prepare you for oil and strigil treatment

12. The Circular Bath Cold plunge pool used to invigorate you after treatments in warm and hot rooms. Probably wouldn’t linger here. 1.6 meters deep

13. The Spring Overflow System engineered almost 2000 years ago is still in use today Allows spring water that is not used in the baths complex to flow into Roman drain and out into nearby River Avon

14. The Baths Today Above: The Victorian Terrace Right: The Sacred Spring & The King’s Bath