THERMES DE CARACALLA

♂ EDDY FARHAN B FAIDI

880921-11-5397

♀ ‘ISMAH SUMAYYAH BT MOHD AMAR

881203-56-6278
 HISTORY OF
BATHS OF CARACALLA

• ROMAN BATH
• EMPEROR CARACALLA
ROMAN BATH • Roman bathing, which consisted of the Roman baths (or
thermae) and also balneum

• Early Romans used baths, but seldom, and only then for heath
and cleanliness

• Existence in 25 BC with the first thermae built by the Emperor

Argippa

• Most Romans bathed in local neighborhood balneum, with an

average of 5 bath houses per block

• Popularity of these balneum led to the creation of the thermae

• Each emperor tried to improve upon the design, grandeur, and

popularity of the ones before him

• In order to create popularity, the fees to bath were practically

nonexistent

• The best and most grand bath complexes were found within
Rome, as it served as the capital of the empire

• The success of the bath complexes owes much to the

technological advances of the Greeks and early Roman

• The improvement of the aqueduct, the architectural usage of

vaulted ceilings, and the hypocaust heating system allowed these
great complexes to be as magnificent as they were
• Romans were able to achieve this by heating the marble floor,
which was raised on small columns or stacks of tiles to allow hot ROMAN BATH
air from a fire to circulate underneath

• Walls were also heated by earthenware pipes in the walls to

ensure a hot and steamy environment

• Bathers had to wear special shoes to prevent their feet from

getting blisters from the floor

• It took two to three days to heat a thermae, but as the baths were
kept in constant use, the fire was never allowed to die

• The baths in Rome served as an entertainment center, holding

sports centers, swimming pools, gardens, libraries, areas for
poetry and musical performances, restaurants, and sleeping
quarters for visitors

• The baths were opened daily from sunrise to sunset and open to
all . The thermae could seat 1,600 bathers at one time

• Most commoners went only once a day, but the Emperors or

luxury bathe as many as 7-8 times daily

• Typical Roman would start out with some easy exercise in the
palaestra (exercise yard), attend to the bathing, anoint themselves
with oil, and then eat some food

• At the baths, even in the most corrupt of their civilization, the

Romans tried to live up to the old maxim: "mens sana in corpore
sano’ – a healthy mind in a healthy body
EMPEROR CARACALLA

• The man behind the plan of the bath who ruled over the Roman
Empire from 211 AD-217 AD

• Born in 188 AD, Caracalla (a nickname - it referred to a Gallic

cloak that he liked to wear) was the oldest son of Septimius
Severus, who was also a Roman emperor from 193 AD-211 AD

• Caracalla or Marcus Aurelius Antoninus built his bath-house in 217 AD

• The baths remained in use until the 6th century when the complex was sacked by the Ostrogoths during the Gothic
War, destroying the hydraulic installations

• The importance of Caracalla's rule is that he was trying to maintain the fragile peace that his father, Septimius
Severus, had managed to achieve during his rule

• The Baths of Caracalla show Caracalla's attempt to show the Roman people that he was there to support them and
care for them. And while he was a bad ruler, he certainly had great taste in architecture

• While Caracalla was in fact a cruel man, it should be noted that his reign did have some benefits for the Roman
population

• Caracalla was only 29 when he unfortunately murdered by one of his imperial bodyguards while relieving himself
during his expeditions in Asia Minor
 characteristics OF
BATHS OF CARACALLA
• ENTIRE BUILDING
• BUILDING DIMENSION & MATERIAL
• INTERIOR
• SURROUNDINGS
• SECTION
• ELEVATION
 Bath Of
MAIN BUILDING Caracalla_______________________

27 acres complex (11 hectares).

Accommodate up to 2000 people per

time.

Main building at the centre and covered

by a thick wall consists of libraries and
gym and also gardens.

6 feet height for loading purpose.

Main building have upper level for service and

heating and lower level for water drainage.

Heating reservoir by Aque Marcia Aqueduct.

The bath was known because of the rich

interiors of marble seats, mosaic walls and
floors as well as fountain and statue.
BUILDING DIMENSION AND BUILDING MATERIALS Bath Of
Caracalla_____________________

Principal dimensions
Precinct maximum: 412x393 m
Internal: 323x323 m
Central Block overall: 218x112 m
Swimming Pool: 54x23 m
Frigidarium: 59x24 m, height . 41 m
Caldarium: 35M diameter height . 44 m

Quantities of materials
Pozzolanna: 341,000 m³
Quick lime: 35,000 m³
Tuff: 341,000 m³
Basalt for foundations: 150,000 m³
Brick pieces for facing: 17.5 million
Large Bricks: 520,000
Marble columns in Central block: 252
Marble for columns and decorations:
6,300 m³
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

VESTIBULES

FUNCTION LIKE A LOBBY OR AN

ENTRANCE ROOM BETWEEN THE
INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AND OUTER
SPACE.
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

APODYTERIUM (DRESSING ROOMS )

A FIRST STOP PLACE FOR BATHERS

BEFORE THEY GET TO A STEP BY STEP
BATHS.

EQUIPPED WITH BENCHES AND OFTEN

CUBICLES TO STORE BATHER’S CLOTHES.

COMMONLY ONE SLAVE WILL STAY TO

WATCH THE BATHERS BELONGINGS.
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

PALAESTRAS (EXERCISE YARD)

A FACILITIES SERVE FOR TRAINING IN

BOXING AND PLAY A KIND OF BALL
GAME.

THOSE ACTIVITIES WILL MAKES BATHERS

TO HAVE SOME MODERATE EXERCISE
BEFORE THEY GET TO BATHS.
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

CALIDARIUM

A HOT ROOM WITH A HOT POOL OF

WATER – 35M DIAMETER.

THIS POOLS HELPS TO OPEN THE

BATHERS PORES AND ALSO HELP THEM
TO SWEATS.

A wing of the underground levels under the

caldarium. The large dimensions of the
galleries derived from the necessity to bring in
horse-drawn wagons full of wood.
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

TEPIDERIUM

A WARM ROOM

ALSO A PLACE WHERE THE BATHERS CAN

HAVE A MASSAGE AND BODY HAIR
REMOVED.

BECOME THE MOST BUSY PLACE BECAUSE

OF THE ACTIVITIES.
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

FRIGIDARIUM

IS A COLD ROOM.

THIS PLACE FUNCTIONED TO CLOSED THE

PORES AND GET THE FINAL CLEANING
STEP IN OVERALL BATHING STEPS.
 Bath Of
INTERIOR Caracalla_______________________

NATATIO

IS AN OPEN AIR SWIMMING POOL.

THIS PLACE FUNCTIONED AS A PLACE

FOR RELAX AND REFRESH THE BODY OF
THE BATHERS.
 Bath Of
SURROUNDINGS Caracalla_______________________

GARDENS

GARDENS THAT CONSIST STATUES,

FOUNTAIN AND ANY OTHERS FEATURES.

AFTER BATHING, PEOPLE CAN WALK

AROUND THE GARDEN AFTER A TYPICAL
DAY.
 Bath Of
SURROUNDINGS Caracalla_______________________

GYMNASIA

AND ADJACENT FACILITIES FROM THE

MAIN BUILDING.

PLACE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE EXERCISE

SIMILAR TO PRESENT GYMNASIUM.
 Bath Of
SURROUNDINGS Caracalla_______________________

STUDY ROOM

OR A LIBRARIES FOR PEOPLE FACILITIES.

HAVE TWO SEPARATED LIBRARIES WHICH

IS ONE FOR LATIN AND ANOTHER FOR
GREEK LANGUAGE.
 Bath Of
SECTION Caracalla_______________________
THE BUILDING HAVE TWO LEVELS WHICH IS
THE LOWER LEVEL IS A PLACE FOR THE
SYSTEM USED TO HEATING SEVERAL ROOMS
AND ALSO FOR THE DRAINAGE.

UPPER LEVEL IS A PLACE WHERE ALL

FEATURES LIKE STATUE AND FOUNTAIN
LOCATED AND FOR ALL HUMAN ACTIVITIES.
 Bath Of
SECTION Caracalla_______________________

GROINS THREE ROUND ARCH

ARCHIVOLTS
(Ornamental molding
following the curve on the
underside of an arch)
JAMB COLUMN

JAMB FIGURE

COLONNETTE
PIERS (A small, relatively thin
column, often used for
decoration or to support
an arcade.)
 Bath Of
ELEVATION Caracalla_______________________

THE MAIN BUILDING CLEARLY

SURROUNDED BY THE
GARDEN.

THE STRUCTURE IS MADE OUT

FROM TOUGH BRICKS AND A
MARBLE MATERIALS LIKE
MOSAIC.
 Bath Of
ELEVATION Caracalla_______________________

KEYSTONE
THREE ROUND
ARCHES
EXTRADOS
INTRADOS (exterior curve
of arch)

VOUSSOIRS
SPRINGING IMPOST
(the level where an (The uppermost
arch or vault rises part of a column
from a support) supporting arch)

JAMB
 ANALYSIS OF
BATHS OF CARACALLA

• PLAN
• CIRCULATION
 Bath Of
ANALYSIS OF PLAN Caracalla_______________________

FROM THE SCHEMATIC PLAN CONSTRUCTED WE CAN SEE THAT THE BUILDING HAVE A BALANCE SIDES AND IN LINEAR
ORGANISATION.

ONE SIDE FOR MENS AND ANOTHER SIDE FOR WOMENS DEPARTMENT.

THE IMPORTANT ROOMS OF APODYTERIUM AND PALAESTRAS IS AT THE SAME SIZED AND LOCATION AT THE TWO
SIDES.

AND THE CALDARIUM, TEPIDARIUM, FRIGIDARIUM AND NATATIO LOCATED IN LINE AT THE CENTRE OF THE MAIN
BUILDING.
 Bath Of
ANALYSIS OF CIRCULATION Caracalla_______________________

4
3
5
2
6
1 7

THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED WITH THE BEST BUILDING CIRCULATION.

BUT THIS BATH OF CARACALLA DOES NOT FUNCTION AS A PUBLIC BATH ONLY. IT ALSO FUNCTION AS A
SOCIAL CENTRE WHERE BUSINESS AND TRADES ALSO HAPPENED AMONG PEOPLE HERE.

WE CAN SAY THAT THIS BUILDING FUNCTIONED LIKE A LEISURE MALL IN THIS PRESENT.
 references;
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baths_of_Caracalla
• http://ehsworldlanguages.com/Forum.html
• http://www.rome-guide.it/english/monuments/monuments_caracalla.html
• http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia_of_history/R/Roman_baths.html
• http://crushedpineapple.tripod.com/history.htm
• http://honorsaharchive.blogspot.com/2007/01/baths-and-bathing-in-ancient-roman.html