Largest Known Private Bathhouse Likely Wowed House Guests in Ancient Pompeii

Before the ash of Mount Vesuvius buried the city of Pompeii in 79 C.E., some of the city’s elites would host parties in their own private bathhouse.

Researchers from the Archeological Park of Pompeii — Parco Archeologico di Pompei — announced the discovery of an elaborate bathhouse inside a private home (domus). According to the Archeological Park of Pompeii, this may be the largest bathhouse ever found at the site. The new finding sheds more light on the lives of Pompeii’s citizens up until their final moments. 

Archeologists have been working on this site, which is part of Region IX, for around two years. So far, this region has yielded a bakery, a sacrarium, and a unique black-walled dining room with murals of mythological characters on them, which is believed to portray a Grecian experience. Archeologists also noted that the rooms throughout the house were all painted in elaborate styles, including Second and Third styles, which were popular in Ancient Rome.

Connected to the dining room — called the black room/hall — was the bathhouse. It was likely designed that way so that after guests had been wined and dined, they could then relax in the private spa. 

As guests entered the bathhouse, it would have been a site to behold. It consisted of several smaller rooms, including a changing room and a hot, warm, and cold room. 

The pool in the cold room was impressive. It was large enough to accommodate about 30 people and was surrounded by a beautiful peristyle and a porticoed courtyard.

This layout resembles the classic Satyricon, a notable Roman work from Gaius Petronius, in which, before a lavish dinner party, the characters bathe in a communal bath. 

Read More: Two Skeletons Leave Behind Clues to Pompeii's Demise

From the style of the house, it’s clear that the owner was very wealthy; however, archeologists believe that they may have also been prominent members of society. They may have hosted friends and family in this place as a way to show off their status, or perhaps they were part of the local government and used this place for political meetings.

Either way, after examining the artifacts left behind, archeologists believe that the owner was likely all about spectacle. 

“Everything was functional to the staging of a 'spectacle,' at the center of which was the owner himself,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the archeological director of the Archeological Park of Pompeii, in a press release. “The paintings in the Third Style with subjects of the Trojan War, the athletes in the peristyle, everything was meant to give the spaces an atmosphere of Greekness — that is, of culture, erudition as well as of idleness.”

Read More: Revisiting Human Remains at Pompeii Rewrites the Story of Mt. Vesuvius’ Victims

Archeologists have been excavating Pompeii since the 1700s and are discovering more and more each year. This recent announcement is part of a series of discoveries to come from this region. The BBC reports that within this house, two bodies were also uncovered. One was the body of a younger man, and the other was the body of a middle-aged woman. 

Archeologists found the man with a set of keys, while the woman was found holding gold coins and with gold and pearl earrings. Each discovery helps tell more of Pompeii’s story, as tragic as it may have been.

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• Archeological Park of Pompei. One of the largest private thermal complexes, annexed to a banquet hall, emerges from the excavation site of Regio IX in Pompeii

• Archeological Park of Pompei. Pompeii excavations in Regio IX bring to light a sacrarium with blue walls

• Archeological Park of Pompeii. Pompeii: a dining room decorated with characters and subjects inspired by the Trojan war has emerged from the new excavations

• BBC News. 'Once-in-a-century' discovery reveals spectacular luxury of Pompeii

A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.