Inside the bathing area itself, there were several components (DeLaine, 1997). One of these was a 183X79-foot cold room located under three 108-foot high groin vaults. There was also a double pool which was tepid, and a 115-foot diameter hot room (DeLaine, 1997). There were also two separate gyms where people could box and wrestle with one another. There was also a standard swimming pool in the north end of the complex. It was a roofless structure and had mirrors made of bronze mounted over it (DeLaine, 1997). This helped to direct sunlight into the area surrounding the pool for both beauty and warmth. The whole building was on a platform that was raised up twenty feet off of the ground. This was done in order to allow for the furnaces underneath the building and also to offer storage (DeLaine, 1997).
On the east and the west sides of the bathing complex there were the libraries. On the north wall of the complex, there were shops that lined the entire space (DeLaine, 1997). The south wall contained reservoirs, and they were filled with water that came from the Marcian Aqueduct (DeLaine, 1997). The principle dimensions of the bath complex and the floorplan are as follows:
Dimensions and Layout of the Baths
Principle dimensions
Precinct maximum: 412x393M
Internal: 323x323M
Central Block overall: 218x112M
Swimming Pool: 54x23M
Frigidarium: 59x24M height c. 41M
Coldarium: 35M diameter height c. 44M
Internal courts: 67x29M
Quantities of materials
Pozzolanna: 341,000 Cu. M
Quick lime: 35,000 Cu. M
Tufa: 341,000 Cu. M
Basalt for foundations: 150,000 Cu. M
Brick pieces for facing: 17.5 million
Large Bricks: 520,000
Marble columns in Central block: 252
Marble for columns and decorations: 6,300 Cu. M
Estimated average labour figures on site
Exavation: 5,200 men
Substructure: 9,500 men
Central Block: 4,500 men decoration: 1,800 men (Wikipedia, 2008).
In the bath area is a huge, 15-foot high statue of Aesclepius (DeLaine, 1997). There are also 40-foot granite columns in the cold room that weigh around 100 tons. In order to complete the bath of Caracalla...
The hypocaust heated the building, and this was a system of burning wood and coal that was located underneath the building and heated water that was in an aqueduct dedicated to the baths. Until the 19th century, that was what was used.
Conclusion
It was no big secret that Caracalla was a harsh ruler. He frequently had people killed just because he was able to, and he basically trusted no one. His reign was famous for a lot of deadly and horrible things. However, his reign was also famous for the baths and for the good treatment of the soldiers in the army. It is important to note these things, because otherwise it can be misconstrued that the reign of Caracalla was all bad. It was not, but there was little caring about the actual people who made up the Empire, and much more concern about those who could protect it. Wealth and power were also highly prized, as long as someone was not wealthier or more powerful than the Emperor.
Bibliography
Birley, Anthony R. (1988). Septimius Severus: The African Emperor, 2nd ed. Yale: New Haven Connecticut.
Chastagnol, Andre. (1994). Historie Auguste. Robert Laffont: Paris.
DeLaine, Janet. (1997) the Baths of Caracalla. Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Meckler, Michael. (1994). Caracalla and his late-antique biographer: A historical commentary on the Vita Caracalli in the Historia Augusta. University of Michigan.
Millar, Fergus. (1993). The Roman…
Sumptuary Laws in the Roman Empire The Roman Republic and the Roman Empire were both grandiose and both are a major part of the history of the world. However, they were quite different in many significant ways but they were also similar in some ways as it relates to social structure, the way people dressed and how society proceeded and developed. The major difference between the two was that the Senate