The Queen of Latrines
Anthropologist Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow, known as the Queen of Latrines, has spent 25 years studying ancient Roman toilets to uncover details about hygiene and daily life. Public toilets, called foricae, often connected to bathhouses, lacked privacy and were hubs of communal activity.
Communal Comforts
Romans used sponge-tipped sticks, or tersoria, for wiping, with flowing water to rinse them. Wealthier citizens avoided public latrines, opting for private cesspits or chamber pots emptied by enslaved workers, while the poor used foricae despite vermin and methane risks.
Sewers on a Grand Scale
Rome’s massive sewers, like the Cloaca Maxima, managed waste from a million residents, flushing it into the Tiber River. Though it prevented urban waste buildup, the system polluted the water, posing ongoing health challenges for city dwellers.
Ingenious Yet Flawed
Despite advancements like sewer technology borrowed from the Greeks, sanitation issues persisted. Roman ingenuity showcased in toilets and waste systems highlights their attempts to address the challenges of urban living in a growing empire.
Public toilets, called foricae, were long marble benches with holes cut close together, offering little privacy. Romans sat side by side, their togas providing modest cover. Under the seats, stone-lined gutters carried waste out of the city, flushed by water from nearby baths. pic.twitter.com/vXX0daTYIz
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