Chapter 1
The voices on Roman walls
Chapter 2
Gladiators beyond the arena
Chapter 3
The truth about Roman dining
Chapter 4
Hygiene and the Roman bathroom
YOUR GOAL
Master of Strange Roman daily life
Ch 4 · Hygiene and the Roman bathroom
misslily Hygiene and the Roman bathroom
No throwing up in secret rooms to keep the banquet sweet, A vomitorium's just a hall that spits you to the street!
misslily Roman emperors taxed public urine, which was highly valued for its ammonia content.
misslily Roman public latrines utilized a shared sponge on a stick instead of toilet paper.
Fun Fact
Urine mouthwash: Some Romans used imported Portuguese urine as mouthwash because they believed the ammonia whitened their teeth.
Glossary
tersorium (noun)
An ancient hygiene utensil consisting of a natural sea sponge fixed to the end of a wooden stick. Visitors to public latrines in Pompeii shared these communal sponges, rinsing them in buckets of vinegar.
An ancient hygiene utensil consisting of a natural sea sponge fixed to the end of a wooden stick. Visitors to public latrines in Pompeii shared these communal sponges, rinsing them in buckets of vinegar.