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a description of the Roman baths
How the romans bathed
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Seneca in mid-first century AD quoted 'I live right above a bath house so you can imagine the varied sounds I can hear coming from the people who go there. I often hear a man exercising hard, or at least pretending to, with heavy leaden weights. I hear him grunting and, whenever he releases his bottled-up breath, i can also hear him panting in wheezy and high-pitched tones. Sometimes I notice a lazy fellow who is content with a cheap rub-down and I can hear the crack of the pummelling hands on his shoulders ... I can also hear the arrest of a pickpocket, the racket of a man who always likes to hear his own voice in the bathroom, or an enthusiast who plunges into the swimming-tank with too much noise and splashing. Besides all those who excel in lungpower, if nothing else, imagine the hair plucker, who advertises his services with a penetrating, shrill voice. He never stops except when he is plucking the armpits and his victim yell instead. There is also the cakeseller with his varied cries, the sausagemen, the sweets seller, and all the other food sellers trying to make a sale, each with his own distinctive voice.' - Adapted from Seneca, Moral Epistles, LVI. 1-2
