Catharsis, which was derived from the ancient Greek, is a Greek word meaning purification or cleansing. Water is consider to be a cathartic medium that has the ability to clean the human organism both physically and mentally. Throughout the history, water also had healing powers.
1. Entrance
2. Male Apodyterium (room for undressing)
3. Sphaeristerium (open-‐air gymnasium/ courtyard)
4. Meeting rooms for the players
5. Male Calidarium (steamy room with hot water pool)
6. Male Tepidarium (hot room)
7. Frigidarium
8. Swimming bath
9. Additional small tanks
10. Additional separate baths
11. Entrance to the women's department
12. Female Apodyterium
13. Female Tepidarium
14. Female Calidarium
15. Waiting rooms
16. Hypocausis (slaves stoked the fires to heat the water and rooms)
Typical plan of a Bath at Pombeii:
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER SINCE ANCIENT TIME
From Greek through Roman period, Catharsis was a process for going against the psychological and spiritual traumas and negativities. Dating back to the Greeks who first appeared with their small ‘Laconica’ bathing in warm and cold springs, the Roman Thermae is nowadays the most famous one. “Ancient Greeks borrowed many elements from other people and made bathing as important as literacy. Water cleansed, cured rejuvenated, ensured immortality and last but not least, it beautified and gave pleasure.” (Dritsas M. 2002)
