Bread and Circuses

Archaeology and cultural history of the Roman toilet

Papers from the Ancient Roman Toilet Workshop, held at the Royal Dutch Institute in Rome and the American Academy in Rome in 2007 reviewed at BMCR by Jane Draycott at the British School at Rome:

A concerted effort is made to address the most common assumptions about Roman toilet usage, such as the extent to which Romans used sponge-sticks, or treated the public latrine as a place for socialising, or placed containers at street corners to collect urine for fulling. Further examined is the later reception of certain aspects of Roman toilets. This includes the survival of references to the emperor Vespasian's tax on urine in the modern Italian name for the urinal, the 'Vespasiani', and the (inadvertent) use of rosso antico Roman toilet seats in papal investitures, which gave rise to the theory that they were used to confirm that the candidate was, in fact, a man.

Full review here. Thanks to MA for the hat tip

Murder on the toilet

An interesting note in Bible History Daily on the toilet's starring role in the murder of Ehud in Judges 3. Here is the euphemistic King James Bible:

 ²⁰And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

   ²¹And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

   ²²And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

   ²³Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

Was he surprised by an assassin? Possibly not:

According to a recent best-selling biography that includes some toilet history, in 16th-century Europe sitting on the toilet—history reveals—was “a common way for royals to receive visitors.” Royalty was unconcerned with privacy. But the issue may not have been privacy at all. Royalty could do what it wanted. What might be distasteful for the average person was a prerogative of status. It seems at least possible to conclude from the Biblical text that this was also true of ancient toilets in Eglon’s time.

More on privies and privacy in the March/April 2012 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Full article here. Hat tip to FS for the link.

Latrines at the Agora in Athens

First century latrines at the Roman forum in Athens.

Copyright: Giovanni Dall'Orto

Latrines at Carnuntum

Reconstructed Roman latrines at Carnuntum.

Copyright: Wolfgang Sauber

Latrines at the Villa Poppea in Oplontis

The latrines at the Villa Poppea in Oplontis

Copyright Kyle Williams

Latrines at Largo Argentina in Rome

The return of the series on Roman toilets. The latrines at Largo Argentina in Rome.

Latrines at Minturno

Minturno is in southern Lazio and was on the Via Appia.

Copyright: AlMare

Latrines at Leptis Magna

These latrines at Leptis Magna date to the second century AD.

Copyright: Sasha Coachman

Latrines at Dougga

The latrines in the Bath of the Cyclopses at Dougga, which date to the thrd century AD, are especially well-preserved. The North African site was recognised by UNESCO in 1997.

Copyright: Profburp

Roman latrines at Housesteads

The well-preserved latrines from the auxiliary fort at Housesteads on Hadrian's Wall.

Copyright: Steven Fruitsmaak