HADRIANS BATHS AT LEPTIS MAGNA Date 126 127

HADRIAN’S BATHS AT LEPTIS MAGNA Date: 126 -127 AD Location: Leptis (or Lepcis) Magna, a Roman Colony in North Africa Architect: The Emperor Hadrian (probably)

Imperial Style Republican / Pompeian Style • earlier style, smaller • larger scale • asymmetric • bilateral symmetry (mirror image) • No laconicum • same facilities for both sexes • different facilities for men and women

1. Latrina 2. Apodyterium (Changing rooms) 4. Frigidarium (cold room) 3. Natatio (Swimming pool) 5. Cold plunge baths Tepidarium (warm room) 7. Laconica (Steam rooms) 6. Caldarium (hot room) 8. Hypocastum (furnaces)

Natatio Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Tepidarium Entrance Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Tepidarium Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Cooler rooms are at northern end of complex Hotter rooms at southern end Additional rooms are for dining, reading, massage

Frigidarium Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Concrete crossvaulted ceiling Corinthian columns Cold plunge pools prob. added by Commodus Painted ceiling Marble floors

Click on Picture for Video (Hypocaust 4 m)

Caldarium Hypocaust Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Caldarium with Furnace Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Caldarium Tubuli Hollow clay tubes in walls to help heat room Photo: Sebastia Giralt (Flickr)

Why were the Baths Built? -As a service, to improve hygiene / public health. -To show that even distant parts of the empire were under the personal care of the Emperor. -To show Roman technological might to the inhabitants of North Africa. - To assimilate (or ‘civilise’) the locals into Roman culture. - To encourage Roman citizens to settle in Leptis Magna - To give pride to the city of Leptis Magna.

Republican bathhouses often had separate bathing facilities for women and men, but by the empire the custom was to open the bathhouses to women during the early part of the day and reserve it for men from 2: 00 pm until closing time (usually sundown, though we occasionally hear of a bath being used at night)… Although the women got the less desirable hours, their fee was twice as high as the men's. Mixed bathing was generally frowned upon… Certainly women who were concerned about their respectability did not frequent the baths when the men were there, but of course the baths were an excellent place for prostitutes to ply their trade. In the Roman Baths, or Roman Women In The Bath, 1876 Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema