DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61387#0092
52
THE RUINS OF POMPEII.
to the highest point of development. Nevertheless, the baths of this third-
rate town cannot at present be matched in the most splendid capitals of
Europe. They occupy a large space of ground, and offer, in two distinct
suites of elegant apartments, one designed for men, the other for women,
accommodation roomy enough for many persons to enjoy at once the cold,
the warm, or the tepid bath. But beyond this no provision appears to have
been made in this set of baths for any other species of recreation. Within
five or ten minutes’ walk of them, however, is another and a larger set, first
discovered in 1858, and called the Thermae Stabianae, from one of the sides
of the building abutting on the street of that name. These have in their
centre a spacious quadrangular court, partly surrounded with a portico,
which might have served as a palaestra, or place for wrestling and other
gymnastic exercises; whilst a long and narrow-paved strip on one side of it,
on which stood two large spheres of stone, appears to have been intended for
some game with the nature of which we are unacquainted. On two sides of
the quadrangle, besides a large swimming bath open to the sky, were
several rooms suited for the accommodation of visitors, the outside walls of
which were adorned with paintings and well-executed reliefs in stucco.
Both the Pompeian thermae are pretty similar’in arrangement. Each contains
both in the men’s and women’s divisions, an apodyterium, or undressing room,
& frigidarium, or cold bath, a tepidarium, or tepid bath, and a caldarium, or
warm and vapour bath, besides other apartments and necessary appurtenances,
such as furnaces and the like. The bathing rooms are elegantly ornamented
with sculptures, paneled ceilings, bas-reliefs in stucco, &c. We annex a cut of
a stucco ornament in the ceiling of the tepidarium in the smaller Thermae. It
STUCCO ORNAMENT IN THE CEILING OF THE TEPIDARIUM.
represents a winged child or genius guiding two dolphins, and followed by
another genius riding one sea-horse and accompanied by another.
The way is not long from the Old Baths to the Forum. Keeping along
THE RUINS OF POMPEII.
to the highest point of development. Nevertheless, the baths of this third-
rate town cannot at present be matched in the most splendid capitals of
Europe. They occupy a large space of ground, and offer, in two distinct
suites of elegant apartments, one designed for men, the other for women,
accommodation roomy enough for many persons to enjoy at once the cold,
the warm, or the tepid bath. But beyond this no provision appears to have
been made in this set of baths for any other species of recreation. Within
five or ten minutes’ walk of them, however, is another and a larger set, first
discovered in 1858, and called the Thermae Stabianae, from one of the sides
of the building abutting on the street of that name. These have in their
centre a spacious quadrangular court, partly surrounded with a portico,
which might have served as a palaestra, or place for wrestling and other
gymnastic exercises; whilst a long and narrow-paved strip on one side of it,
on which stood two large spheres of stone, appears to have been intended for
some game with the nature of which we are unacquainted. On two sides of
the quadrangle, besides a large swimming bath open to the sky, were
several rooms suited for the accommodation of visitors, the outside walls of
which were adorned with paintings and well-executed reliefs in stucco.
Both the Pompeian thermae are pretty similar’in arrangement. Each contains
both in the men’s and women’s divisions, an apodyterium, or undressing room,
& frigidarium, or cold bath, a tepidarium, or tepid bath, and a caldarium, or
warm and vapour bath, besides other apartments and necessary appurtenances,
such as furnaces and the like. The bathing rooms are elegantly ornamented
with sculptures, paneled ceilings, bas-reliefs in stucco, &c. We annex a cut of
a stucco ornament in the ceiling of the tepidarium in the smaller Thermae. It
STUCCO ORNAMENT IN THE CEILING OF THE TEPIDARIUM.
represents a winged child or genius guiding two dolphins, and followed by
another genius riding one sea-horse and accompanied by another.
The way is not long from the Old Baths to the Forum. Keeping along