This site is devoted to the Baths of Caracalla, that great and majestic bath complex built in Rome starting in 216 AD under the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Antonius Pius Felix Augustus, better known as Caracalla. Why would you devote a whole web page to a bath complex, you ask? The simple answer is that one simple building can tell you a lot about the people who used it and their society. Explore a little more and find out how the Baths reveal the daily lives of Romans, both those who designed and planned the complex and those who went to it on a regular basis.
History Behind the Baths - What went on at a typical Roman Bath? Who was Caracalla and why is he important?
Building Plan - What was the layout of the Baths of Caracalla? How did they get all that water into the pools? What did the heating system look like?
Decoration - What did the exterior of the Baths look like in antiquity? What does it look like now? How was it decorated on the inside? Were there mosaics? Sculptures?
Significance - What is the significance of the Baths to archaeology? How is this bath complex different from its predecessors? What purpose did it serve in everyday life to the Roman people? Why did Emperor Caracalla commission it? Why was it built where it is built?
Other Sources - Interesting in learning more? Want to know where I got all my information?
