Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Caldarium

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

CALDA'RIUM. The thermal chamber in a set of baths. (Vitruv. v. 10. Seneca, Ep. 86. Celsus, i. 4.) In all the baths which have been discovered, public as well as private, this apartment is constantly arranged upon a uniform plan, and consists of three principal parts; a semicircular alcove (laconicum) at one end (the right hand in the engraving (Caldarium/1.1)), with a labrum upon a raised stem in the centre of it; a vacant space in the centre of the room (sudatio, sudatorium); and a warm-water bath (alveus) at the other extremity — all which parts were essential to the ancient system of bathing. In the central portion, the bather exercised himself by lifting weights and performing gymnastics, for the purpose of exciting perspiration; he then sat down in the laconicum, superinduced by the hot air proceeding from the flues seen under the flooring of the room; or entered the warm water bath, if preferred, instead. It is probable that in the more magnificent and extensive structures, such as the Roman Thermae, separate apartments were appropriated for each of these operations; but in the smaller establishments, such as the baths of Pompeii, and in private houses, the thermal chamber, in all the instances hitherto discovered, and they are many, is uniformly arranged in the manner described, and shown by the illustration, which represents the section of a bath-room attached to an ancient Roman villa at Tusculum. The relative situation and arrangement of such chambers in connection with the other parts of the establishment, and the general ground-plan, will be understood by referring to the illustration, s. BALINEAE, letters D and H; and BALINEUM, letter D.

2. The boiler in which the warm water for supplying a bath was heated (Vitruv. v. 10.) as seen in the preceding section over the furnace (No. 2.), with a conduit tube into the bath. See also AHENUM 2., where the principle upon which the ancients constructed and arranged their coppers is explained.

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  Caldarium/1.1