Baths of Nero

One of the main structures of Rome that sought to satisfy the needs of the Roman citizens while also serving as an architectural model was the Baths of Nero. These baths, which also included spaces for exercise and pools, lasted for hundreds of years and continued to serve both the physical and social needs of the city's residents.

Located on Campus Martius, the Baths of Nero were originally built between 62 AD and 64 AD, under the rule of Emperor Nero. The baths were built following a symmetrical layout, which consisted of bathing rooms that ranged in temperature, exercise courts, and an open-air pool. Fortunately, the baths survived the Great Fire of Rome that broke out in 64 AD and continued to serve as the first great public bathing complex to be built in the Roman Empire in 80 years. After the fire, the Baths of Nero became the model for all of the imperially sponsored bath buildings that were constructed (Taylor 64). Under the rule of Alexander Severus, which lasted from 222 AD until 235 AD, the Baths of Nero underwent massive renovations, including a new aqueduct, and became known as the Baths of Alexander (Taylor 99). Much like the other baths located in Rome and throughout the empire, the Baths of Nero sought to satisfy both the physical and mental needs of Roman citizens and provide centers for socialization. Roman baths were used not only for bathing, but for exercise, reading, and places to meet with others, which illustrates the central role that these buildings had in Roman society (Conti 154).

Conti, Flavio. A Profile of Ancient Rome. Los Angeles, CA: Getty Publications, 2003.

Taylor, Rabun, Katherine Wentworth Rinne, and Spiro Kostof. Rome: An Urban History from Antiquity to the Present. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2016.