Archaeologists Unearth a Sumptuous Private Bathhouse, Reveal How Elite Ancient Romans Treat their Guests Before a Lavish Meal

One of the largest, most sophisticated private thermal spa complexes ever discovered has been unearthed at Pompeii, stated the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, revealing where the ancient Roman elite would give their guests spa treatments before banqueting, according to CNN. The luxurious bathhouse—a possible 30-person space—consists of a sophisticated web of hot, warm, and cold rooms, connected by a recently discovered black-painted banqueting hall adorned with frescoes.

The impressive complex, situated in Region IX of the buried city belonged to what must have been a very influential member of Pompeii's society. "We have here perhaps the largest thermal complex in a private house in Pompeii," said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological park, stated Smithsonian Magazine. "It was an opportunity to show the wealth in which they lived and also to have a nice thermal treatment."

The sophisticated design of the spa brings to mind the ancient Roman novel "Satyricon," written by Gaius Petronius Arbiter, with scenes of an extensive bathing ritual followed by dinner parties hosted by wealthy patrons. They would first enter the hot room, or calidarium, and then proceed to the warm room called the tepidarium, where oils were rubbed on their bodies. This experience was completed in the frigidarium or cold room, a breathtaking space with a 10x10 meter peristyle court and a large plunge pool in the middle, as per CNN.

The apodyterium or changing room, is painted vibrant red, tiling an extra-special mosaic, inlaid with marble picked out from selected parts of the Roman world, stated BBC. That stipulates something extolled when it comes down to the significance of the richness of the householders. Epigraphical support suggests that this property may belonged to Aulus Rustius Verus, a noted Pompeian politician and one of its most influential voices in the small society. "Everything was functional to the staging of a 'show' at the center of which was the owner himself," Zuchtriegel explained, according to CNN. The complex had many uses other than pure relaxation—a stage for securing electoral support, closing business deals, and displaying social status.

The Greek-inspired gymnasium setting, complete with frescoes depicting athletic scenes, created an atmosphere of sophistication and cultural refinement. The discovery is but a part of the much larger excavation that has already produced a number of important finds, which include a bakery and rooms with intricate drawings. In the same house, archaeologists found the remains of two victims of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.: a woman in her mid-to-late thirties and early fifties, clutching precious jewelry and coins, and a younger man in his teens or early twenties, stated Smithsonian Magazine.

Downstairs, the boiler room of the bathhouse is strikingly different from that upstairs, serving only to point out the social disparities in ancient Roman society. Behind the hot room, slaves would have labored in intolerable conditions, tending the furnace and controlling the water system through a network of pipes and valves that seemed remarkably modern in their conception. "The difference between the sumptuous life of the bathhouse, compared to the furnace room, where the slaves would be feeding the fire toiling all day—a wall is all that could divide you between two different worlds," said archaeologist Sophie Hay, stated BBC.