Monday, November 14, 2011

Roman Public Toliets





Public toilets were a propionate part of the Roman society; everyone sitting together using the bathroom was a normal way of life. In their culture it was more of a social aspect than a daily need. "According to O.F. Robinson, Ancient Rome: City Planning and Administration, public bathhouses were comfortable places, where one might sit and read, or otherwise "amuse oneself sociably, hoping for [dinner] invitations.” [1] The concept of the bathroom being a private place did not exist and it was not only a public aspect of life it was an extremely social event.  In addition to the public use of the bathrooms the concept of toilet paper did not exist, instead there were communal sponges that everyone used and shared and by this the privacy level was also lessened. However, to the people at the time the bathroom practices were a normal thing. Furthermore at the public urinals the waste produced by the toilet was collected regularly and sold to fullers for cleaning wool, etc. The concept on toilets as a private matter that is hidden from others is a typical concept today but without roman innovation of water systems and sewers this would not be possible today. Roman bathroom practices were different than ours today but they were the ones that directly informed our practices today. 


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