Baths of Trajan

By: Zhuan Liang

Baths of Trajan

               During ancient roman periods, public bathing became well-practiced amongst all classes of citizens and is a very common practice to the culture and society. Bathing complexes usually open around lunchtime until dusk for all, the rich and the poor. In many cases bathing complexes include three entrances, one for male, one for female and one for slaves of the rich. The entrance fee for all is approximately two denarii, a very small value bronze coinage. (2)The construction for Baths of Trajan began around 104 AD and finished in 109 AD.  It is a bathing and leisure complex built in ancient Rome, commissioned by Emperor Trajan. Baths of Trajan locates on the southern side of the Oppian Hill, the main developed part of the city back in the day. The architect behind this complex was Apollodorus of Damascus. Before the construction of the Baths of Trajan, the location was occupied by the Palace of Nero until the great fire in 64 CE. (1)

Baths of Trajan's location on city map

            The Baths of Trajan covers an area of 330 by 215 meters, the fourth monumental bathing complex constructed for citizens. Unlike most of the existing bath complexes, the Baths of Trajan sits on a northeast- southwest axis, where the main building faces the northeast side; this orientation was chosen because the architect wants to take advantage of the exposure to the sun throughout the day and to reduce the bathers’ exposure to the wind. (3)

            In comparison with the earlier public bathing complexes, Baths of Trajan is more advance at the layout of the system, where all the facilities within are well organized and more sophisticated heating systems were used to run the hot and warm rooms. The earlier baths uses braziers, but the baths after 1^st century BCE uses wood burning furnaces to maximize efficiency because the warm heat created were sent under the raised floors that stand on pillars. For Baths of Trajan, the architect also used a special brick known as tegulae mammatae at corners that block the hot air and sent them to the hot rooms. (2) 

Interior of baths

              The interior of the Baths of Trajan was well planed- out, it includes the common court yard like feature of the entrance with grassy area where people use as a gathering/ meeting place and is one of the spots where both genders interact and be engaged in conversation and other activities. Then is the construction of the apodyteria or changing rooms, which leads to the tepidarium which were the warm rooms, and then the caldarium which were the hot rooms and lastly the frigidarium or the cold rooms. The Baths of Trajan also includes a gymnasia, spa service, massage treatments, library and space to hold scrolls and manuscripts. Underground, the complex includes a massive cistern and the seven rooms that were capable of holding no less than eight million liters of water. (1)

Plan of Baths of Trajan

                These roman bath facilities contributed to architecture through its monumental size. These structures also showed the earliest known dome shape construction that helps circulate the large airy rooms. In addition, the concrete used in forms of stiff mortared rubble allowed unsupported walls to be built with greater distances apart. (2)

Sources:

1. "Ancient Roman Baths- Thermae, Baths of- Caracalla, Diocletian, Trajan- Crystalinks." Ancient Roman Baths- Thermae, Baths of Caracalla, Diocletian, Trajan- Crystalinks. N. p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016
2. Cartweight, Mark. "Roman Baths." Ancient History Enclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2013. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.
3. MacDonald, William L. The Architecture of the Roman Empire. New Haven: Yale UP, 1982. Print.