"Aetate fruere, mobili cursu fugit!"
Or "Enjoy life, for it is fleeting!" - so said the ancient Romans, and they certainly knew exactly how to take advantage of the sweet side of life, turning it into a slow and continuous pleasure - every day.
Today, we'll take a peek behind the doors of the Roman Baths, where relaxing and beautifying rituals are placed in a cult, and time inside is tamed and slowed down to its usual fast-paced course!
The Roman Baths
The so-called Roman Bath was an integral part of every Roman citizen's daily life. The wealthier had their own baths in their villas and mansions, while the rest used the public baths that appeared in Rome around the 3rd century BC. By the end of the 1st century BC they numbered around 190, and by the 5th century the number had surpassed 1000!
Several types of rooms with different functionality were built in the famous Roman baths:
Apodyterium
This was the room where the Romans prepared and changed in a comfortable and relaxing environment before indulging in prolonged relaxation and various treatments - comfortable and large benches, pomegranates for resting and casual conversations in a comfortable environment gave the start to an extremely recharging experience.
Palestra
A visit to the thermae began with moderate physical exertion. For this purpose, the Roman baths had a separate room for exercise and various games. Most often these were ball games, running, fencing or other martial weapons. Thus, the Romans first warmed up and got their blood circulation moving, and then went on to individual treatments in the relaxation centre.
Caldarium
After the exercises, it was the turn of the relaxation, which usually started with the heated room - the caldarium. This room had shallow pools of hot water which were heated by a system called hypocaustum. This efficient central heating system was invented by famous Roman architects to heat the floor and walls in bathing baths. Using a furnace (praefurnium) located in the basement, water and air were heated and circulated through pipes built into the walls. A double cover was used to protect the floor from excessive heat. The upper layer was made of bricks and clay, fixed on the characteristic adobe posts called pilae, arranged in a staggered order. The bricks in the walls (tubuli) were hollow and the clay pipes for space heating were built into them.
Tepidarium
In the tepidarium the Romans rubbed aromatic oils into their skin and then brushed it with a device resembling a wire brush (strigili). Various massages and healing treatments were also carried out in this room, after which visitors headed for the pools of warm mineral water, where they liked to stay for long periods of time. Even business meetings on a commercial or political basis were held in the pools.
Frigidarium
This is a cold room with warm pools - the Roman baths, where Romans went after a steam bath or sauna. Here, while bathing, visitors were entertained by a special program presented by attractive artists, dancers, musicians, poets, comic actors, etc. In the frigidarium there were facilities for a glass of good wine, something to eat and other pleasures.
Laconium
This was the room for a Roman sauna. Those who wished to use the facility, which is also the most famous room in today's spas.
Feel free to borrow practices from Ancient Rome that will help you feel recharged after just a few hours. you deserve it, because busy life needs its slow moments too.