Ancient Greek Hydraulic Technologies in Baths, from the Prehistoric Period to Roman Years

Bathing practices for hygienic, religious, secular, therapeutic or even social purposes are met in societies of the ancient world. The cleanliness of the body and the personal hygiene was necessary to humans from their appearance on earth. Even before the building of bath facilities, people cleaned their bodies using the water of rivers, lakes and even seas. The use of these waters for bathing is mentioned by Homer who depicts scenes of these kinds of baths in his work. In Greece, bath complexes suitable for bathing and cleanliness are first applied in the civilizations of the Minoans and the Mycenaeans, in separate rooms of the royal palaces. In historical times, bathing culture was developed by using only cold water, whilst in the classical period or a little later, bathing with warm and cold water was equally applied. Public baths revolution occurred in the Hellenistic era, according to archaeological remains. The Roman baths originated from the Greek baths and bathing facilities. Baths and bathing culture co-evolved with the development of the human society. Baths architecture and interior design for bathrooms have coupled with complex hydraulic systems which figure in the daily life of the citizens of the West. This study focuses on two baths of the Roman period that have been brought to light by an archaeological excavation on a Mediterranean Island, Chios (Greece). The work aims to add the environmental dimension in ancient man’s relationship with baths and his culture, his social significance, the technologies and resources he applied with emphasis on hydraulic technology. The paper re-examines the old practices through the prism of new terms, like sustainability.