Hygiene In Ancient Rome
The Romans attached great importance to the quality of the water they drank and in which they bathed regularly. This led them to build aqueducts , and baths associated with hot springs, sewers and latrines. Latrines were reputable institutions: evidence that tell the traders attending to transact business.
The Roman physicians had great hygiene control: while not knowing the existence of bacteria , they knew they had to boil their instruments of surgery, he should not mix sewage and clean water ...
Summary |
The otium
The otium was a quiet time, time of intellectual and physical recovery, following a rather complicated cleaning, bathing and massage in public baths. The otium was accompanied or followed by readings, concerts and fun with beautiful slaves. Once clean, abundant meal could be enjoyed in the triclinium with clients and friends following the adage mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a sound body). The discussions could continue in latrinae, large communal toilets.
Latrines
In Rome, the latrines were great magnificence, the walls were often decorated with marble and mosaics or paintings. The middle class went there casually and spoke to the news of the day or their business. Baths and latrines were associated for that reason. They are also found in the guild houses.
Rome did not form any exception here. Around the Mediterranean, many cities had large ornate latrine, in which 80 people could be accommodated. In Rome, we washed them permanently with the overflow of hot springs, aqueducts and wells. The sewer ran beneath toilet seats made of marble or wood and were evacuating the feces in large collecting duct that drained into the Tiber. In the middle of the room, another laugh harvested or splashing urine.
The Roman villas have direct connections to sewers, but the modest houses ( insulae ) had only large bucket placed under the stairs. At Bulla Regia , a city of Tunisia , were found during archaeological excavations in a house, toilet seats with double sinks. At Fucens Alba in Italy means the Via dei Pilastri such latrines have survived to us.
The historian Henry Thedenat identified a building still existing, with three niches in the Domus Augustana on the Palatine Hill as latrines imperial. Two seats Porphyry Palace of Constantine are exposed to the Louvre.
Military Latrines
There were latrines in army camps the most remote of the empire. Military doctors were aware of the relationship between health and disease, the generals knew that the prevention of epidemic affected the ability of the army. For prevention, baths and latrines were included in the valetudinarium. Latrines the castellum of Vercovicium on Hadrian's Wall are well represented. All wastewater from the camp were used to evacuate faeces, if they were insufficient, they used water tanks. This wastewater was discharged outside the camp by a ditch which led to a pit.
History latrines
It is not known exactly when the latrine appeared. Presumably, it was the first built at the end of the Republic. It has identified what could be a latrine in Pompey's theater at largo Argentina. Most known latrines were constructed between the first century and fourth century. Rome in the fourth century counted 144 and 253 latrinae necessariae counts that also include urinals. Continuous improvements have been made in military latrines between the second century and fourth century. Latrine construction was financed by private funds, the Romans only failing to invest in sanitation if there was a significant advantage.
Roman Latrines have been equaled only from the sixteenth century in England. The retention systems have been reinvented as odors from 1775. Sewage systems were comparable, as from 1842 with the construction of sewers in London.
Hygiene in the Roman religion
Goddess Salus was the goddess of health and cleanliness, the daughter of Aesculapius , the god of medicine and sister Panacea , who symbolizes the curative medicine. The Romans had dedicated an altar to the goddess Cloacina at the entrance to the main sewer of Rome, the Cloaca Maxima.
Hygiene in Roman medicine
It's in the hygiene control that Roman doctors are perhaps the most surprising. Although not knowing the existence of bacteria , they knew they had to boil their instruments of surgery, he should not mix sewage and clean water ...
See also
Bibliography
- BOUET A., latrines in the provinces of Gaul, Germanic and Alpine Gallia supplement 59, CNRS, Paris, 2009 Read a report online.
- JANSEN GCM, "Systems for The Disposal of Waste and Excreta in Roman Cities. The Situation in Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia, "DUPRE I Ravents X. Remoli Vallverd JA (ed.), Sordes urbis: in the eliminacin of residuos la ciudad romana, Actas Reunin of the Roma (15-16 de noviembre de 1996 ), Rome, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 2000 37-49.
- JANSEN GCM, "Studying Roman hygiene: The Battle Between the" optimists "and the" Pessimist "," JANSEN MCM (ed.), Cura Aquarum in Sicilia, Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress on the History of Water Management and Hydraulic Engineering in The Mediterranean Region (Syracuse, May 16-22, 1998), coll. Babesch, Supplement, 6, Leiden, Stichting Bulletin Antieke Beschaving, 2000 275-279.
- (De) R. Neudecker, Die Pracht der Latrine - Zum Wandel ffentlicher Bedrfnisanstalten in der Stadt kaiserzeitlichen. Mnchen, 1994.
- Koloska-Ostrow AO, "Finding Social Menaing in the Public Latrines of Pompeii", DE HAAN N., JANSEN MCM (ed.), Cura Aquarum in Campania, Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress on the History of Water Management and Hydraulic Engineering in The Mediterranean Region (Pompeii, October 1-8, 1994), coll. Babesch, Supplement 4, Leiden, Stichting Bulletin Antieke Beschaving, 1996 79-86.
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