THE bath was a most important event in the every day life of the Romans of that period which, is here principally described, and one of their most essential requirements. Bodily health and cleanliness, although its original object, had long ceased being the only one; for the baths, decorated with prodigal magnificence, and supplied with all the comforts and conveniences that a voluptuary could desire, had become places of amusement, whither people repaired for pastime and enjoyment. In earlier times, bathing was much less frequent, as Seneca tells us, citing the authority of more ancient authors. Epist. 86: Nam, ut aiunt, qui priscos mores urbis tradiderunt (perhaps Varro) brachia et crura quotidie abluebant, quœ scilicet sordes opere collegerant, cœterum toti nundinis lavabantur. Cato, de lib. educ. in Non. iii. 5, says, ephippium: Mihi puero modica una fuit tunica et toga, sine fasciis calceamenta, equus sine ephippio, balneum non quotidianum, alveus rarus. And Columella does not approve of the slaves bathing daily or frequently, (i. 6, 20): nam eas quoque (balneas) refert esse, in quibus familia, sed tantum feriis lavetur, neque enim corporis robori, convenit frequens usus earum.

Hence the ancient baths, both public and private, being in the words of Seneca, in usum, non obleclamentum reperta, were of very simple construction. In the villa of Scipio Africanus, where Seneca found so much cause for instituting a comparison between the ancient and modern times, there was a balneolum angustum, tenebricosum ex consuetudine antiqua.