The men went in by the main entrance. This was on the southside under the gabled roof. There was a second entrance for men on the westside. These led to an open exercise area (palestra). To the left of the entrance at the far end of the colonnade was a changing room. They took this exercise in the Palaestra, and games were played here. Both the men’s and women’s quarters had three rooms. A hot room (caldarium) next to the boiler room. A warm room (tepidarium) and a changing room (apodyterium). The men’s quarters also included a small circular room with a cold plunge bath (frgidarium). The women’s quarters had no frigidarium but there was a cold bath in the change room. The women’s quarters were reached by two corridors, one from the west and one from the east side. These two corridors led only to the changing room. It was impossible to get from these corridors to any other part of the building.
Originally, the women’s quarters were entirely isolated from the rest of the complex. Later a doorway was put in only after the earthquake when the men’s baths were out of action. Alternatively it might have been a service entrance, which was kept locked during working hours.
5
BATHS