|
In
an age when public houses have determinedly obscure names, the Roman
Bath pub in York should be applauded. Why, in the 1970s, did the
Mail Coach Inn at St Sampson’s Square become the Roman Bath?
Because that’s exactly what was discovered deep in its bowels.
The
question is, do today’s rowdy patrons realise their behaviour
is eerily reminiscent of the legionnaires who occupied it almost
2000 years ago?
What's
in a bathhouse?
Bath-houses
to the Romans were a cross between leisure centres and casinos.
Perhaps regrettably, they have no equivalent in modern society…
After completing their involved bathing regime, the soldiers of
the Legio IX Hispana, for whom York was home until 122 AD, might
easily have indulged in a spot of gambling or have clinched a business
deal.
Artefacts
discovered during excavations at York's legionary bath-house include
fragments resembling playing pieces used in a form of back gammon
and chess.
 |
|
Floor of York's bath-house |
Dens
of iniquity?
The lascivious nature of the baths is reflected in the rule adopted
in bath-houses across Roman Britain that ladies bathe in the mornings
and gents at other times. The rule reflected the desire to shield
ladies from the wayward habits of their male counterparts. Although
some might suggest the men had a hidden agenda in avoiding the reprimands
of their womenfolk!
The
rowdy atmosphere of Roman bath-houses is delightfully described
by the Roman philosopher Seneca. His account of living above a bathhouse
reveals their lively, bustling nature.
"Add
to this the arrest of an occasional roisterer or pick-pocket, the
racket of the man who always likes to hear his own voice in the
bathroom, or the enthusiast who plunges into the swimming tank with
unconsciable noise and splashing… Then the cake-seller with
his varied cries, the sausage-man, the confectioner and all the
intonations of the vendors of food hawking their wares, each with
his own distinct intonation."
Vigorous
cleaning!
Quite apart from the social aspect of Roman bath-houses, the actual
process of bathing was incredibly elaborate and involved, extravagant
enough to match any modern-day spa treatment centre.
 |
|
A stirgil in action |
First
came the exercise, necessary in order for the individual to work
up a healthy sweat. The next stage was the caldarium, or hot room,
the remains of which are visible in the cellar of the Roman Bath
pub in York. Here the sweat and dirt was scraped off the skin using
an instrument known as a stirgil.
In
the remains at York, the stone blocks which would have supported
the raised floor are visible. Underneath this floor, furnace-heated
air would circulate giving the room a sauna-like temperature and
humidity.
As
yet, other chambers of York's bath-house have not been located.
After the caldarium came the frigadarium and plunge pool to close
the pores. Finally the fraternising and socialising that made the
bath-houses so much more than simply a place to clean oneself.
So
the next time there's a deal struck over a pint, a win on a fruit
machine, or a little rowdy interaction at closing time, will the
participants realise they're continuing a tradition that's almost
2000 years old?
Bibliography
Roman
Towns in Britain, Guy de la Bedoyere, Tempus Publishing, 2003
Roman
Britain, Keith Branigan, Reader's Digest, 1980
Seneca:
Epistulae Morales, translated R Gunmere, Loeb Classical Library,
1920
The
Towns of Roman Britain, John Wacher, Book Club Associates, 1976
With
thanks to Keith Mulhearn of the Roman Bath Museum, York.
|
ROMANS
