Roman Toilets

Learn about the history and features of Roman sewers, public latrines, baths and aqueducts. Compare the sanitation systems of ancient Rome with other ancient cities and modern standards.

Learn about the Roman sanitation system, from aqueducts and sewers to public and private toilets. Discover how Romans used sponges, water and concrete to deal with waste and hygiene.

Learn about the history and culture of Roman toilets, from public foricae to private latrinae, and how they managed human waste. Discover how the Romans wiped, flushed, and dealt with sewer vermin and diseases.

Learn about the different types, styles, and etiquette of public toilets in ancient Rome, a city with overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Discover how the Romans developed efficient and hygienic waste disposal systems and how they influenced modern sanitation practices.

Roman Latrin. The latrines were large functional and organized environments. The latrine was rectangular in shape, featured a series of perforated seats along two sides today's toilets above a channel where water flowed. The excrement fell into the channel and was carried away by the current to the nearest sewer.

Learn how the ancient Romans used communal toilets, aqueducts, and urine jars for their bathroom needs. Discover how modern Roman toilets differ from Western ones and why they are small and quirky.

Learn about the ancient Roman public toilets called foricae, where the non-elites relieved themselves in open and social facilities. Discover how foricae worked, what they looked like, and how they affected the health and social hierarchy of Rome.

Learn about the history and design of Roman toilets and sewage systems, from the influence of ancient Greece to the Cloaca Maxima and the aqueducts. Discover how public latrines were a place for socializing and how the Tersorium was a toilet brush.

Learn about the public and private toilets, sewage system, and hygiene practices of ancient Rome. Discover how the Romans engineered and improved their waste management and faced various hazards and challenges.

And Roman toilets also had a number of deficiencies. One major problem was that there were no traps or S-shaped bends in the pipes beneath toilets to keep out flies. Environmental