WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Roman baths were like our leisure centres. They were big buildings with swimming pools, changing rooms and toilets. They also had hot and cold rooms more like modern Turkish baths. The water in the Great Bath now is green and looks dirty.

Detailed explanation-2: -In ancient Rome, thermae (from Greek thermos, “hot") and balneae (from Greek balaneion) were facilities for bathing. Thermae usually refers to the large imperial bath complexes, while balneae were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed in great numbers throughout Rome.

Detailed explanation-3: -Roman baths were used by both rich and poor citizens alike and were spread throughout the empire. By the 4th century AD, there were around 850 baths in Rome alone.

Detailed explanation-4: -Baths were built using millions of fireproof terracotta bricks and the finished buildings were usually sumptuous affairs with fine mosaic floors, marble-covered walls, and decorative statues.

Detailed explanation-5: -The main purpose of the baths was to allow the Romans to purify themselves. Most Romans living in the city went to the bath house every day to cleanse themselves. They used to put olive oil on their skin and then rubbed it with a metal scraper called a strigil. The baths were also a place for socialising.