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What Role Did Bathhouses Play In Roman Culture

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Baths played a central role in Roman culture and society. Bathing was a common everyday practice that was widely practiced across the social class spectrum. Functioning as a communal activity, bathers shared their bathing and the bath facilities with others regardless of social class. The various sounds and activities from the baths as described by Seneca endorses the idea that bathhouses had a social function equivalent to community centers. Since the bathing process was lengthy, many Romans used this time to converse with other bathers and arrange dinner plans as described by Martial (Yegul, p. 19). Functioning as a social site embedded in Roman tradition, participating in the baths allowed people to identify themselves as Roman. Bathing

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