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to each other, were placed two baths fufficiently extenfivf te 

 Iwim in. Nigli this chamber v.'as the undtuaiimn : you 

 then entered the hypocauft, the propnigeum, and two other 

 apartments, neat but not magnificent : you afterwards came 

 to an hot bath, from which the fea was difcovered ; and 

 farther on was the fpheryieriiim, expofed to the afternoon fun. 

 In his houfe in Tufcany, on entering the bath, we firft find 

 a great apodyterium, a fpacious and agreeable chamber for 

 undreffing. This conduiled to the frigidarium ; which was 

 darkened, and contained a bath of an appropriate fize. 

 When it was not found fufficiently fpacious, there was in 

 the open air a vaft bafon, which might be uled for the fame 

 purpofe. Not far from the frigidarium was a chamber ex- 

 pofed to the fun fufficiently warm, but lefs fo than the 

 Hove ; this was the tepidarium. This room had three par- 

 titions, each having a different degree of heat. The two 

 firft were entirely expoled to the fun ; and though the 

 laft had not a!l the heat of the former, it was equally 

 light. Ahove the apodyterium was the fpher'ifler'ium, or 

 place of excrcife fo\ different games. Although Pliny does 

 not inform us how the bathers i-mployed themfelves after 

 having undreffed and anointed, it is hiphlv probable they 

 weat up to the fpherifterium and exercifed, defcended by 

 another ftaircafe into the Hove, and afterwards returned to 

 the apodyterium ; not forgetting in their way to viCt the te- 

 pidarium and frigidarium. 



The following defcription, according to the Hippias of 

 Lucian, gives another idea of the baths of the ancients, 

 with the various apartments they contained. 



" Having paffed the great veftibule, to which was an eafy 

 afcent, you entered a fpacious hall for the ufe of the do- 

 meftics who attended their mafters. On the left were the 

 chambers, where they who quitted the bath retired ; which 

 were the handfomeft and molt agreeable of ail. Farther on 

 was another hall deftined for perlons of conlideration. 

 After this apartment, on each fide were galleries, where the 

 bathers changed their dreffes. The centre, which was both 

 elevated and well-lighted, contained three baths of cold 

 water, ornamented with Laconian marble ; and had likewife 

 two ftatues of the fame material, the one of Hvgeia, and 

 the other of Ei'culapius. On leaving this part of the baths 

 by a long vaulted paffage, the building became infeniibly 

 warmer, although the heat was far from difagreeable : this 

 padage led to a light apartment where the oils and effences 

 were preferved, which on the right hand had a communica- 

 tion with the palsftra ; and the door-polls of which were 

 covered with Phrygian marble. The apartment contiguous 

 to this, as Lucian informs us, was more beautiful in its de- 

 corations than any we have mentioned ; its very floor was 

 compofed of the marble already fpoken cf. It was of - fize 

 fufficiently large for the bathers to walk in, and was tur- 

 nilhed with feats. After this apartment you entered a fort 

 of gallery, heated ; of fufficient length to admit the txercifes 

 of the courfe. It was incrufled with Numidian marble ; and 

 led to a handfome well-lighted apartment, painted with pur- 

 ple, where were three warm baths. To leave it, it was not 

 necefiary you Ihould go back by the way you entered, but 

 acrofs a warm chamber where the heat gradually diminithed. 

 All the chambers were lighted from the top ; and Hippias 

 fhewed great judgment, in conftruAing the apartments wli'ch 

 contained the cold bath fo as to face the north. In regard 

 to thjfe which required a greater degree of heat, heexpufed 

 them to the fouth, the fouth-ealt, and well." 



It appears from this defcription, that the bath of Hip- 

 pias had no apodyterium ; there were only at each end of 

 the frigidarium, which contained the three baths cf cold 

 water, tables on which the dicfies were placed. The bathers 



entered a warm paflage which conducted to the uBCtiiarium ; 

 whence having anointed themfelves they gained tl-.e fpheif- 

 fterium, the largeft and handfomeft apartment of the whole. 

 When the exercifes were finifhed, they pafled into the hot 

 bath by a gallery where there was fufficient heat to preferve 

 the pcrfpiration firft excited in th^ fpherifterium : fo that 

 when the bathers firft entered the warm bath, the difference 

 they found was fcarcely perceptible ; fince the warmth of 

 the water was pretty nearly the fame with that of the body. 

 After having ufed the bath, they returned by a fhorter wav, 

 and crofTed an apartment where the heat diminifhed in pro- 

 portion as they approached the frigidarium where their 

 dreffes had been left. * 



The following is the defcription which Vitruvius has left 

 us of the Grecian baths. Having defcribed the different 

 apartment* of the gymnalium, he fays : " On the right of 

 the ephebeum is buiit the cor^ceum, or the room for (hav- 

 ing, drtffing, &c. : near which ftiould be the conifterium, 

 where the fand for the wreftltrs is preferved ; and at the 

 corner of the perjftyleum, the loutron, or cold bath. On 

 the left of the ephebeum, the eleothefium, or apartment for 

 the effences and oils : near which is conftrufted the frigida- 

 rium ; whence a paflage (hould conduct the bathers to the 

 propnigeum near the ftove in the corner of the portico. 

 Adjoining, on one fide the frigidarium, is built the vaulted 

 chamber for perfpiration, which is always made twice as long 

 as wide ; and at one of its angles, ufually that oppoCte the 

 warm bath, the laconicum.." 



The difpofition of each of the apartments we have men- 

 tioned varied ftill more in the thermje of the Romans, al- 

 though their plans evince uniformity to a certain extent. 

 As the Romans had two peryftilia in their thermse, it fcems 

 right to conclude they had a double order of baths. Varro 

 proves inconteilibly, that the women bathed in different 

 apartments from the men ; for, in fpeaking of the public 

 baths of Rome, he fays : " Item primum balneum nomen 

 et Grjecum introiit in urbem : ubi bina effent conjunfta jedi- 

 ficia lavandi caufa ; unum ubi \nri, alterum ubi mulieres 

 lavarentur." What Martial and St. Cyprian relate of the 

 baths, v>ha-e the men and women bathed indifcriminately, 

 does not confute this paflage ; fince wTiters attribute thofe 

 indecencies to none but women of infamous character : 



" Cum te lucema balneator extinda 

 Adraittat inter butluarias moechas." 



This feparation is confpicuous in the baths of Caracalla ; a 

 great part of which was furrounded by a veftibule which 

 encompafled the principal buildings of the therrr.se. This 

 part was divided into fifty vaulted halls feparated from, but 

 perfectly refcmbling eacii other. One of thcfe yet reriiains 

 entire, and fufficiently indicates how the others were dif- 

 pofed. It is approached by a fmall veftibide. The room in 

 which the bath was placed, was thirty-one feet in length by 

 fifteen feet three inches v ide ; the bafon was of mafonrv-, 

 with a border of larger ftoncs extending eighteen inches 

 from the edge of the hollow. The cavity between the fides 

 was twelve feet wide by fifteen lo.ig. It was defcended 

 to in front by leven or eight flcps extending the width of 

 the bath ; four above the brink, and three or four went 

 to the bottom of the bafon : and the whole was lighted 

 by a fmall opening at tiie top. A thoufand perfons could 

 bathe in this part of the thermss at once. 



When the water flowed into thefe baths, it feems to have 

 been only lukewarm, as it was brought from the hot baths 

 of the great thermx ; of which thefe, as we have already 

 mentioned, formed only the outer circle. The water was 

 conveyed from thefe baths, by pipes, into a great pifcina, 



or 



