An Afternoon at the Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla are the best-preserved of Rome's great imperial bath complexes. This video explores their remains, and discusses the shape of a Roman visit to the baths.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:42 Typical Roman Baths
2:02 Building the Baths of Caracalla
3:18 Squarespace
4:07 Beginning our visit to the Baths
5:38 Exercising at the Baths
6:42 The Central Hall
8:25 The Caldarium
8:54 The Natatio
9:46 Conclusion
Thanks for watching!

Пікірлер: 834

  • @Dogsnark
    @Dogsnark2 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating. To a Roman in that time, it must’ve been inconceivable that all this grandeur would ever pass away. There’s a lesson there, I think.

  • @barahng

    @barahng

    2 жыл бұрын

    Depends on the time. Late Republic, plenty of people had, and wrote about, their anxiety for the state of the Republic and its decline into corruption and nepotism. It was Caesar's publicly claimed motivation for everything he did after Gaul, to save Rome from itself. Then on the other hand men like Cato feared for Rome *because* men like Caesar existed.

  • @DunceCapSyndrome

    @DunceCapSyndrome

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@barahng Hey, kinda sounds like…. Now

  • @emmgeevideo

    @emmgeevideo

    Жыл бұрын

    "Nothing is constant except change." I think this "lesson" is no mystery.

  • @katalinjuhasz641

    @katalinjuhasz641

    Жыл бұрын

    ELKORCSOSULT SEMMI LETT A VILÁG, MILYENEK A MAI EMBEREK???? SATNYA GYENGE, NULLA, MA CSAK RABSZOLGASÁG VAN, A PÉEPSZNEK SEMMI, 1% -É MINDEN....

  • @emmgeevideo

    @emmgeevideo

    Жыл бұрын

    @@katalinjuhasz641 I couldn't have said it better.

  • @rolfnilsen6385
    @rolfnilsen63852 жыл бұрын

    What a perfect way to spend most afternoons. Art, discussion, fellowship, sports and bathing. There is a lot to learn from that.

  • @blakelowrey9620

    @blakelowrey9620

    2 жыл бұрын

    And then just that one guys slave watching his crap the whole time looking sad

  • @johna.4334

    @johna.4334

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@blakelowrey9620 Hey, that's his job assignment. The slave is given free room and board so what's there to complain about?

  • @blakelowrey9620

    @blakelowrey9620

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@johna.4334 Standing around in the locker room while everyone else has a good time

  • @59Lemony

    @59Lemony

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@blakelowrey9620 yeah, slavery is bad. But this happened 2000 years ago. It was the norm to have some extra hands working for you if you had the means to feed them.

  • @blakelowrey9620

    @blakelowrey9620

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@59Lemony I'm not even making a larger point about anything. I'm just imagining the image of the guy bored as fuck in the locker room for 5 hours

  • @johnspizziri1919
    @johnspizziri19192 жыл бұрын

    for some reason, this structure captures my imagination more than any other in Rome. What a place for a time traveler to visit. Thank you!

  • @stoicforall

    @stoicforall

    2 жыл бұрын

    The old Penn Station in New York City, savagely demolished by the real estate mafia, was inspired by the Baths of Caracalla.

  • @johnd8726

    @johnd8726

    2 жыл бұрын

    They were colossal civil engineering projects, adorned with beautiful sculptures and craftsmanship, which served as the epicentre of the daily cultural and social heart of Roman civilisation. Of course they are captivating!

  • @Gainn

    @Gainn

    2 жыл бұрын

    Would definitely be on the visit list if you a time machine.

  • @Ekstrax

    @Ekstrax

    2 жыл бұрын

    Aw man now i wish i could go back in time. I'm gonna build a 3D model of this one day if it's the last thing i do

  • @aka99

    @aka99

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Gainn yes, i would spend a day in this bath.

  • @johnmcglynn4102
    @johnmcglynn41022 жыл бұрын

    The experience of going to one of these places would be almost magical. Ancient Rome certainly had its problems, and was crowded and dirty, but it also had this. I can imagine exiting these baths and going off to dinner in a private Roman home. For those that could experience it, and thought of it as a norm, it must have been quite a way of life.

  • @robertsaget6918

    @robertsaget6918

    2 жыл бұрын

    especially just ****ing slaves all the time

  • @willfreeman4208

    @willfreeman4208

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@robertsaget6918 what a mature outlook

  • @williamcarnero9595

    @williamcarnero9595

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@robertsaget6918 that’s a great part of it

  • @bookashkin

    @bookashkin

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@willfreeman4208 In fairness, they did that. A lot.

  • @evanb6734

    @evanb6734

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@willfreeman4208 lol

  • @VIJER47
    @VIJER472 жыл бұрын

    They, much like us, probably thought that their times would never end. How sad to see such beauty turned to rubble. Great video. Thanks!!

  • @ChickenMcThiccken

    @ChickenMcThiccken

    2 жыл бұрын

    that was a dumb way of thinking. cavemen had 24 -48 hours to find shelter ; before their time would end. lol

  • @bepinkfloyd814

    @bepinkfloyd814

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ChickenMcThiccken wtf are you rambling on?

  • @ChickenMcThiccken

    @ChickenMcThiccken

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@bepinkfloyd814 i think the person i was replying to; deleted their comment. so now im as clueless as you are as to what i replied to originally.

  • @bepinkfloyd814

    @bepinkfloyd814

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ChickenMcThiccken oh Lol now i understand, i thought that you were talking alone like a madman ahaha my bad

  • @PAKallman

    @PAKallman

    Жыл бұрын

    Lol "us"

  • @stevenpetropulos5445
    @stevenpetropulos54452 жыл бұрын

    “Despite his many flaws as an emperor and human being, Caracala knew how to motivate construction teams.”

  • @marciaspiegel5280

    @marciaspiegel5280

    Жыл бұрын

    I shudder to think what motivation he used.

  • @iialarcon30

    @iialarcon30

    Жыл бұрын

    @@marciaspiegel5280 I thought the same and hope it was payment🤞🏼

  • @RenaissanceASMR
    @RenaissanceASMR2 жыл бұрын

    I live in North Italy and go for a little vacation in Rome every time I have the chance. It's the most beautiful city I have ever seen: sure It's not perfect and has many problems and living there must not be always easy from what I hear but It's just captured my heart since the first time I went there as a child. The Terme di Caracalla is one of my favourite places: once you enter you can really feel relaxed and at peace because It's so quiet and the noise and chaos of other more famous and crowded parts of the city seem so far.

  • @dannyhernandez265

    @dannyhernandez265

    Жыл бұрын

    And that’s not even Prime Rome. Imagine what it looked like in its prime? Oh my goodness.

  • @dirkvantroyen9170
    @dirkvantroyen91702 жыл бұрын

    "And the sun set, and the doors were shut, and the great furnaces were banked. But all through the night, year after year, the fountains continued to run, and the trickle of falling water filled the halls of the baths of Caracalla". This is so beautiful. You're doing such a great job in painting a figure of what it must have been like. Bravo.

  • @colleennobbs7218

    @colleennobbs7218

    Жыл бұрын

    Lovely!

  • @ethanmassey1216
    @ethanmassey12162 жыл бұрын

    It’s interesting to think about how one day, the last of the patrons visited this bath, and the doors were closed for a final time. How something that was seen as a normal public utility is now seen as a record of history thousands of years later by a distant civilization.

  • @spankflaps1365
    @spankflaps13652 жыл бұрын

    This was one of the best buildings in history. A cathedral of marble and water. So sad that it was destroyed, but all the best stuff gets knackered. The only reason the shell is still standing is that it’s too strong to be demolished. It would cost billions in today’s money to build something like this, bearing in mind that 1 block of marble (half the size of a small car) costs 1 million Euros.

  • @ericvosselmans5657

    @ericvosselmans5657

    2 жыл бұрын

    However marvelous this building is, it is nothing compared to the things we can build now. An aircraft carrier, the ISS to name a few, Rovers on Mars.

  • @johna.4334

    @johna.4334

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ericvosselmans5657 But the things we build today (buildings for example) are not beautiful but rather grotesque when compared with buildings of ancient Rome.

  • @ericvosselmans5657

    @ericvosselmans5657

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@johna.4334 there are many contemporary buildings in Neo-Classical Style as well which would have awed the roman emperors. The U.S. Capitol for one. But there are so many others

  • @jamessmythe1891

    @jamessmythe1891

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@ericvosselmans5657 US government buildings and many others look so much like the buildings in imperial Rome !

  • @ericvosselmans5657

    @ericvosselmans5657

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jamessmythe1891 Yes!

  • @Mediaevalist
    @Mediaevalist2 жыл бұрын

    I find it amazing that the Roman aqueducts simply kept on working and running all the time. And it is mind-boggling that even today water coming out of the Trevi Fountain runs (at least in part) through the 2,000 year old pipes of the Aqua Virgo.

  • @helgaioannidis9365

    @helgaioannidis9365

    2 жыл бұрын

    The architecture and engineering of those buildings are amazing, but they didn't stand for centuries without any maintenance of course.

  • @Mediaevalist

    @Mediaevalist

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@helgaioannidis9365 Of course, maintenance was needed at any given time. But the overall structural integrity of the components used allowed for a longer use than what they use for piping today, at least where I live. Here a main water pipe is required to be completely replaced after 60 years max, if it does not break way before.

  • @helgaioannidis9365

    @helgaioannidis9365

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Mediaevalist their pipes didn't last either. What lasted are structures made of bricks and concrete.

  • @Mediaevalist

    @Mediaevalist

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@helgaioannidis9365 That's what I meant by pipes. :D

  • @helgaioannidis9365

    @helgaioannidis9365

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Dio Ego I lived in Rome for many years and saw the pantheon many times. You can see maintenance was done when you look at it from the outside. E.g. they added some pieces of metal to keep things stable. Miss the great ice cream at gelateria La Palma...

  • @elkiness
    @elkiness2 жыл бұрын

    Amazing! I was there 35 years ago, for a performance of ''Nabbuko'' by Verdi. That was amazing, too--at night, the background of the baths dramatically lit, the beautiful opera, and the Italian audience crying ''Bravo''! Families with food, many singing along--like no concert I'd ever been to. The baths were etched into my minds eye, and it's wonderful to see them again, and understand something of how they once looked and were used. Thank you!

  • @jamesclendon4811

    @jamesclendon4811

    2 жыл бұрын

    I saw an opera there too, and, by coincidence, it was the same on, and around the same time. A truly impressive and memorable spectacle. I think I learned recently, maybe even on this channel, that they no longer hold opera performances there. Seems a shame, but I guess it's in the interest of protecting what's left of the building.

  • @ugolagazzi4246

    @ugolagazzi4246

    2 жыл бұрын

    I saw baths some years before you,because i was soldier not too far from there and i spent a permission,visiting by foot all the area,i founded it wanderfool and great!

  • @bunkyman8097

    @bunkyman8097

    2 жыл бұрын

    I would cherish that experience for the rest of my life. You are fortunate!!

  • @0xsergy

    @0xsergy

    2 жыл бұрын

    that sounds like an experience. not quite rome but you got the closest idea of what it was like back then with that.

  • @philster611-ih8te

    @philster611-ih8te

    Ай бұрын

    The Three Tenors (Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti) also had their first concert there-

  • @brentwalker3300
    @brentwalker33002 жыл бұрын

    My goodness, that is an enormous complex. It must have been absolutely beautiful 1800 years ago.

  • @HerculesMays
    @HerculesMays2 жыл бұрын

    This video is an absolute treasure. Easily the best way to introduce somebody to Roman bathing complexes and really demonstrate the grandeur that they once had. I can only imagine the splendor of Caracalla's thermae in 230 A.D

  • @xavierdecambiaire229
    @xavierdecambiaire2292 жыл бұрын

    I was lucky enough to visit during 2021 - i was the only one on the premises, had the whole complex for myself ! One feature that amazed me was this Roman board game carved into the marble step of one of the numerous pools. It even had some graffiti next to it, reading : ‘You do not know, you cry, you move, you will be careful’. Crazy to think that its so close to the palatine hill yet fewer people choose to visit.

  • @69waveydavey
    @69waveydavey2 жыл бұрын

    Excellent, I stumbled on the Diocletian baths in Rome in 2015, I didn't know they even existed until then. I had already visited the church a few days earlier, the scale of the place is unbelievable. They did things properly in those days.

  • @gregstephens2339

    @gregstephens2339

    2 жыл бұрын

    Same for me!

  • @joshogden3105
    @joshogden31052 жыл бұрын

    That’s so fascinating that even with all the things that were so segmented by class and status in Roman society, the baths were a common space where all were welcome and could afford to go daily.

  • @sigridqwq5198

    @sigridqwq5198

    9 ай бұрын

    Slaves no..........

  • @joshogden3105

    @joshogden3105

    9 ай бұрын

    True lol@@sigridqwq5198

  • @user-vj4xz8hf4e

    @user-vj4xz8hf4e

    9 ай бұрын

    I'm a little hesitant on the olive oil thing.

  • @sam23696
    @sam23696 Жыл бұрын

    Out of all the massive construction projects by the Romans the baths are by far some of the most impressive. They stand as a stark contrast to what life was like in this period. A place where everyone is clean and relaxing and playing sports. The activities in this structure is something every person who has ever lived can relate to. Unlike places like the coliseum or palaces, we know what it's like to sit in a hot bath or go for a swim in the pool. It's so much easier to imagine what experiencing this building was like.

  • @matasa7463

    @matasa7463

    6 ай бұрын

    It's a giant hotspring bathhouse with attached gym and library, and also a snack and tea joint. We have stuff like this today in some private sports clubs and resorts.

  • @paoloviti6156
    @paoloviti61562 жыл бұрын

    I know very well the Caracalla baths as I was always passing by when going home. The ruins are still enormous and mind-boggling if you stop to try to imagine how it was looking once centuries ago. Curiously I never been able to visit inside for a reason or another. Unfortunately I don't live in Rome anymore. Thanks for sharing this very interesting video 👍👍

  • @LittleFoxInTheBox
    @LittleFoxInTheBox2 жыл бұрын

    The last verse hit me like a bag of bricks. It's so poetic...

  • @ruthanneseven
    @ruthanneseven2 жыл бұрын

    I've had years of visiting a hot spring called Harbin on Northern CA. It was as close to a Roman set up as I could imagine in the modern era. Clothing optional, there was a warm quiet large bath for meditation. Up winding stone stairs there was the cold plunge, best done first. Fresh flowers adorned an altar to a Goddess of Mercy. All was to be silent, except for a bell to chime after completing the hot plunge back down the stairs. Being numb from the icy water really helped to bear the scalding heat of THIS bath. One could do 3-7 rounds between the two, and either lay on a bench to rest in the shade, or lay in the sun. A larger heart shaped pool was used to talk quietly in warm water, while those seeking to swim laps, could dive into the long cooler pool. Massage of all types could be had, including watsu, a type of swirling hypnotic healing treatment done in the warm quiet pool. I enjoyed camping, taking a room and eating organic food at the restaurant. Once, I stayed an entire month, hanging out with Hanuman Dass, a holy man I was asked to help. Sometimes we had Sufi heart dances at night, or long talks at the smoking bench. It was idealic. Wild deer and sometimes turkeys would pass by. Sometimes they hosted festivals and being Pagan, were wild and joyful with music, drumming and ritual. It burned completely to the ground during one of our great fires. A whole community was traumatized. It's finally up and running again. I want to remember it as it was. I can totally relate to those Romans!

  • @ChrisDavis-ps8me

    @ChrisDavis-ps8me

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your vivid recollection. Felt as though I was there. Very enjoyable reading.

  • @oceanlover3530

    @oceanlover3530

    2 жыл бұрын

    What a beautiful experience! Thank you for sharing! ✌🏻🙂✌🏻

  • @shawnalston2155

    @shawnalston2155

    2 жыл бұрын

    Clothing optional? No thanks.

  • @Vifvd
    @Vifvd2 жыл бұрын

    What a truly wonderful city it must have been. Even in ruins, you can still see Rome's majesty.

  • @fleischer236
    @fleischer2362 жыл бұрын

    Roman baths are my favorite micro subject within Ancient Rome. Have your book on audible and really appreciate ya. Much love from Philadelphia

  • @TheBigHambi
    @TheBigHambi2 жыл бұрын

    Finally a new video, waiting every friday for this! I finally got hold of your book in Germany, like it a lot. One of the most entertaining history books I read until now. I think the depth of your answers does perfectly hit the right amount of Information to be easy to read. I also like you style, which is valid on youtube as well. Some youtube historians talk half an hour and I do habe the feeling to get only half-knowledge. In your videos and your book I feel like getting a dense collection of facts

  • @toldinstone

    @toldinstone

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm very glad you're enjoying the book. Thanks for the kind words!

  • @elkiness

    @elkiness

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@toldinstone convinced me to buy it! Enjoying all the videos so much.

  • @yadhu3166
    @yadhu31662 жыл бұрын

    This has grown to become one of my favorite channels, that melds the line between academia and pure curiosity of how early civilizations functioned.

  • @josephinebennington7247
    @josephinebennington72472 жыл бұрын

    Thank heavens, at last, for an American accented but un-assuming, un-exclamatory voice-over. And a very good video too.

  • @feffe4036
    @feffe40362 жыл бұрын

    I have been to the ruins ( a nice walk through Rome ) and they are massive! It must have been a breathtaking place at the time.

  • @classiclife7204
    @classiclife72042 жыл бұрын

    I echo another comment here: this was likely the most expensive building in the world at the time, and would be so today. That much marble and mosaic would be an inconceivable expense. The Baths certainly ensured that a violent, unintelligent Emperor's name would live forever. I can't even imagine such a sight. Three other buildings I'd have love to have seen: the Emperor's Palace on the Palantine Hill (pre-looting, of course), the Colosseum (when brand new), and Nero's Palace. In fact, we get the word "palace" from the famous Executive Mansion on the Palantine.

  • @500iq6foot8
    @500iq6foot82 жыл бұрын

    I grew up in ancient Rome. I remember going to swim there when I was younger

  • @CamAlert2
    @CamAlert22 жыл бұрын

    Pennsylvania Station in New York was heavily inspired by the Baths of Caracalla. A shame it was destroyed before it could be saved.

  • @QuBoadicea69

    @QuBoadicea69

    2 жыл бұрын

    I didn’t know that about Penn Station and though I never saw it before it was razed, I’m very sorry that it was! Thanks for that info

  • @wayneantoniazzi2706

    @wayneantoniazzi2706

    2 жыл бұрын

    A shame all right, but I look at it this way, Pennsylvania Station died so Grand Central Terminal could live. The demolition of Penn Station was a shocking wake-up call that sparked the urban preservation movement here in the US. Trust me, there were those who would have liked to see GCT gone as well. People with cash registers where their hearts should be.

  • @Thelaretus

    @Thelaretus

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@wayneantoniazzi2706 Even for a financial point of view, the car-centric suburban craze of the USA is ridiculous. Not that my Brazil is immune to that either, of course.

  • @wayneantoniazzi2706

    @wayneantoniazzi2706

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Thelaretus Car-centricity had less to do with the demise of long-distance train travel than affordable air travel did. Air travel sold speed, speed that the trains couldn't match. Commuter trains survived, but only with government subsidy and eventually government take-over. The railroads couldn't make money on commuter traffic, in fact they had to operate it at a loss. Add the fact that railroads in the US being a private enterprise, they had to pay real estate taxes on the roadbeds, in addition to all their other structures. The deck was heavily stacked against American railroads 60 years ago.

  • @pahwraith

    @pahwraith

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Thelaretus ford made it possible to the average man to buy a new car. The autobahn inspired eisenhower to build an american freeway system in the case of invasion and war. So he demanded funds to build and so it was. Then it became the mission of the usa government to give every man his own home. The easiest way to do that was to build cheap housing in the farms and forests outside the cities. Which thanks to the new freeways. They were now easily accessible. It made sense at the time. They didnt know better. They thought car centric and giving every man a home and garden was the best possible future. The crazy part was that the usa was so rich. That they actually did it.

  • @rickb3078
    @rickb30782 жыл бұрын

    My very favorite monument in Rome. The scale is mind boggling. And it’s almost always quiet. Thank you for the virtual tour sir. If a future me would hand me an almanac with financial market info in 1980 and I’d have bought Microsoft, yahoo, bitcoins, Tesla AMD and what not, all at the right time, this would be my first reconstruction project. (Circus Maximus is second) MBS spent 450m USD on a gaudy French fake chateau. If MBS is reading KZread comments, sir, with your kind of money, could you rebuild this in Italy please? I’d be most obliged. I may even watch the GP as a curtesy this weekend if confirm before Sunday.

  • @patrickmahaffey6166
    @patrickmahaffey61662 жыл бұрын

    I could really imagine the bath house experience, thanks to your excellent guiding. It was a bit like an enormous YMCA! In this particular way, I think the ancient Romans were more civilized than us.

  • @patlynch3464

    @patlynch3464

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yeah, I'll bet it was similar to the YMCA, wrestling, towel snapping, trying to persuade young men into having sex.

  • @Jackknowshow
    @Jackknowshow11 ай бұрын

    To thinking that bathing in such an architectural and philosophical wonder was considered free two millenniums ago is such a jaw dropping thought.

  • @theotherohlourdespadua1131
    @theotherohlourdespadua11312 жыл бұрын

    I always wonder what are the health benefits of the Roman ways of bathing...

  • @drusik

    @drusik

    2 жыл бұрын

    Probably equivalent to more than casual visits of sauna's and / or banya's.

  • @ChickenMcThiccken

    @ChickenMcThiccken

    2 жыл бұрын

    they wouldn't have let a "leper" into their baths or anywhere else for that matter. im sure there were rules about who can enter and who cant.

  • @wizzardofpaws2420
    @wizzardofpaws24202 жыл бұрын

    You can imagine how stunning this place must have been in it's day.

  • @patrickroe2240
    @patrickroe22406 ай бұрын

    Visited yesterday. Absolutely awe-inspiring in size, and the grounds are so peaceful and lovely to stroll.

  • @mancamiatipoola
    @mancamiatipoola2 жыл бұрын

    Mate, you have a certain way to tell a story and excite the imagination... I turned this 10 min video into a 30 min adventure by pausing at every part of the fantastic huge ruins and imagining what it must have looked like with the columns and the marble walls, the mosaics and fountains gushing out of hte walls, the miriad of statues of ancient heroes and the vastness of the entire thing... Ty for also finding those drawings and showing us a mere glimpse of what it must have looked like in its glory days. I am still awe struck after its over and am still far away with my mind, imagining myself a simple merchant going for a bath and meeting my merchant friends there as i walk the majestic halls of the Caracalla wonder for the first time... Now i understand the sense of wonder Piranesi must have felt when he spent days sketching and drawing these ruins for his copper etchings. Thank you!

  • @TristanGougeon
    @TristanGougeon2 жыл бұрын

    Been waiting for each of your videos since they all take you so profoundly well back in time ! Always great storytelling, thanks !

  • @free_at_last8141
    @free_at_last81412 жыл бұрын

    Excellent as always. A tour group would be lucky to have you as a guide.

  • @bernieschiff5919

    @bernieschiff5919

    2 жыл бұрын

    This is the best presentation of this subject I've seen, bar none. Great narration. The viewer has a (very important) sense of the location in the walk through, and you provide context, what daily life was like in Rome for the different classes of people. Good use of the wide angle (and 4k)? Wouldn't mind if some of your videos were longer and more in depth. Keep up the good work!

  • @MrArjanvT
    @MrArjanvT2 жыл бұрын

    Loved this one, thanks! Had the privilege of strolling trough these ruins a few years back. Definitely one of the most impressive roman structures I have seen!

  • @cherylsmith4826
    @cherylsmith48262 жыл бұрын

    Your narration sets a wonderful stage- what a fabulous experience- how neat it would have been to enjoy such a place. Thanks for taking us there

  • @SuperTurtledude13
    @SuperTurtledude132 жыл бұрын

    I cannot even begin to express how much I love your videos.

  • @crmesson22k
    @crmesson22k2 жыл бұрын

    This is something we need to bring back into Society roman baths.

  • @sternamc919sterna3

    @sternamc919sterna3

    2 жыл бұрын

    We are privileged, we have bathrooms in each house (most of us in western cultures), with running cold and hot clean water, residual waters are treated, and you can walk the streets without fear. If you go to places where living conditions are similar to those Romans had you will understand their reality.

  • @mrs.g.9816
    @mrs.g.981611 ай бұрын

    The Baths seemed like an ultimate ancient Rome spa! Wish I could see a computer generated recreation of walking through the Baths as it looked shortly after it was built.

  • @fratercontenduntocculta8161
    @fratercontenduntocculta8161 Жыл бұрын

    I really enjoy the angle you take with it, as if you're really going to go and experience it. The way you engage the audience is why your videos have so much charm. I've learned more about Ancient Rome in 3 days from you, than any other source!

  • @douglasbarnes456
    @douglasbarnes4562 жыл бұрын

    Looks like a great place to relax and spend the day! Great video, as usual!

  • @davidjeanes9767
    @davidjeanes976711 ай бұрын

    The measured drawing at 7:50 is actually of the Baths of Diocletian, made by students of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under their professor, Edmond Paulin. The modern space also appears at 1:44. This picture has often been misidentified as the Baths of Caracalla. It influenced the design of Pennsylvania Station in New York City and many other railway stations.

  • @adryaa1227
    @adryaa12272 жыл бұрын

    What a coincidence. I just bought your book because I’m going to NYC next week and I wanted something fun to read about Ancient Rome and now I just discovered this video. I think I’ll enjoy it without a doubt. Thanks.

  • @alexunfiltered5756
    @alexunfiltered57562 жыл бұрын

    I was going to make a naked gladiators joke but for real this place sounds incredible. It would almost be a perfect setting for a level in Playstation era Spyro.

  • @mrs6968
    @mrs69682 жыл бұрын

    That was magnificent and I love how you ended it in such detail as if it was coming back to life if only in my mind00

  • @shellyharry8189
    @shellyharry81892 жыл бұрын

    a beautiful and comprehensive video! thank you! I've been to the baths and I agree, even stripped of their marble, they're spectacular ❤️

  • @localfarang
    @localfarang2 жыл бұрын

    I’ve been fortunate to visit Rome a few times. Your videos have really opened my eyes and mind to understanding what I’ve seen. Thank you !

  • @marcoscorsolini8803
    @marcoscorsolini88032 жыл бұрын

    and then...slowly...at some point, the fountains stopped giving water...forever. The end of Rome really fascinates me. It is all silent now.

  • @mspocahontas46
    @mspocahontas462 жыл бұрын

    What a fabulous video. You really know how to make history come alive! Thank you.

  • @nathand7560
    @nathand75602 жыл бұрын

    These videos are always so relaxing and satisfying to listen to the stories 👌

  • @kerryrwalton7791
    @kerryrwalton77912 жыл бұрын

    Would love to see video(s) on ancient influence on Renaissance artistists especially Raphael as he was appointed by Pope Chief Archeologist. He loved the ruins as were so many others. Thank you for these wonderful videos!

  • @dominicmauro7203
    @dominicmauro72032 жыл бұрын

    This is exactly the kind of video I've been waiting for!

  • @PtolemyJones
    @PtolemyJones2 жыл бұрын

    Of all the advantages of concrete, this is the first time I realized the facet that it can't be taken down and reused elsewhere with any efficiency is a plus for those of us interested in history.

  • @Saucyakld
    @Saucyakld2 жыл бұрын

    Amazing history and buildings! Went to Turkey and saw similar beautiful buildings! A memory to treasure!

  • @SoyNicko001
    @SoyNicko0012 жыл бұрын

    Very excited to go here when I visit Italy again!

  • @sergical5
    @sergical52 жыл бұрын

    Came back just to give it a like. Your content is amazing. You paint a vivid window into the past. Awesome 👍

  • @robbabcock_
    @robbabcock_2 жыл бұрын

    Wonderful video! In some ways ancient Rome offered citizens a level of daily opulence and extravagance that few people today can experience.

  • @jeremybamber5729
    @jeremybamber57292 жыл бұрын

    Your description of the location caused me to be struck by a strong sense of scale, awe inspiring stuff. Thank you!

  • @ultimagus8086
    @ultimagus8086 Жыл бұрын

    this was a wonderful video, and a glimpse into the everyday life of people living in rome. i love seeing these brief vignettes into what life was like. i think that it's pretty cool that magnificent structures like these were open to anyone of any class, and that there were so many different ways to spend your time here.

  • @v-lifeofficial7886
    @v-lifeofficial78862 жыл бұрын

    That was amazing ! thank you for literally taking me back in time !

  • @KlaunVI
    @KlaunVI2 жыл бұрын

    A well written narration. Well delivered. Cheers.

  • @charliewoll5451
    @charliewoll54512 жыл бұрын

    your videos provide a humanity to the otherwise bland description of roman life i was taught in school. the angle you offer on this channel spurs my imagination!! and i feel as though i am there myself

  • @colleennobbs7218
    @colleennobbs7218 Жыл бұрын

    Wonderfully described…… your description clothed and animated the ruins, it must have been a beautiful place in its day. Thank you. ❤

  • @98Zai
    @98Zai2 жыл бұрын

    Great! I almost felt like I was there, and I loved the colorful conclusion.

  • @crawfordsmith3700
    @crawfordsmith37002 жыл бұрын

    An outstanding , fixating presentation. Informative and time-era transportational !

  • @kubrickenigma7977
    @kubrickenigma79772 жыл бұрын

    These illustrations bring to mind the astonishing Pennsylvania Station (1910-1963) .

  • @camerongideon3188
    @camerongideon31882 жыл бұрын

    Hey man your videos are awesome and i enjoy learning a lot from your calming voice.

  • @RickLowrance
    @RickLowrance2 жыл бұрын

    Great coverage of an interesting subject.

  • @abnercotto2368
    @abnercotto23682 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Thanks!

  • @Dionaea_floridensis
    @Dionaea_floridensis2 жыл бұрын

    Imagine being a Roman senator suddenly whisked away into the 21st century to gaze upon what remains of his civilization

  • @buffoonustroglodytus4688

    @buffoonustroglodytus4688

    2 жыл бұрын

    I guess that’s one of the few perks of being mortal. You don’t get to witness the things you love perish

  • @tessat338
    @tessat3382 жыл бұрын

    Does anyone else get a theme park vibe from this place? The fabulous amenities and theming but also the crowds and the pilfering? Anyone? Just me?

  • @johna.4334

    @johna.4334

    2 жыл бұрын

    A good location for this theme park would be Las Vegas, NV

  • @jamessmythe1891

    @jamessmythe1891

    2 жыл бұрын

    Italian government should rebuild it to exact details at a nearby location

  • @johna.4334

    @johna.4334

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@jamessmythe1891 Thing is, there is no "nearby location"; Rome is a crowded, congested city. Best to rebuild the existing monument to the way it was using donated funds.

  • @mikeifyouplease
    @mikeifyouplease2 жыл бұрын

    I really like the way you describe the ancient baths and how people would use them. Kudos to you! Why don't the Italians decide to restore at least a portion of these magnificent structures? Especially those that they have the exact details of what they specifically looked like.

  • @xXcangjieXx

    @xXcangjieXx

    2 жыл бұрын

    Let me give my humble thought on your question, I think I can answer because I’ve spent much time in Italy. Firstly, if one of these buildings were restored they would loose much of their historical and archeological value. Who knows what future archeologists might discover thanks to us preserving them as best we can in their current state? And second, money. Italy has so many historical sights and buildings that there is sadly not enough money to preserve and maintain everything, let alone restore.

  • @Stavrina46

    @Stavrina46

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’m from a country similar to Italy, choke full of historical buildings in half ruin. Everything Nils said is correct. Also a lot of what you see is actually restored as it may have been underground or in pieces prior to restoration. Restoration of such places treads a delicate line of allowing the viewer to imagine or project the original look of the building on its current state while maintaining its beauty as a building that is old, weathered and scarred. By keeping the building in a state that may seem “half done” you are actually showing the passage of time, earthquakes and fires which are parts of its history. Also with a lot of these structures, we don’t know exactly what they looked like so how would they be restored accurately and /or excavations are not done yet.

  • @flyingisaac2186

    @flyingisaac2186

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Stavrina46 One loss is that the ruins in, say, the Forum Romanum are sparser than in the past. In previous centuries temples and basilicas were at times part buried and little chapels, shrines and even a fortress or three were built on what had become the ground level. If you look at some ruins you can see traces of those later structures, as though there were traces of some room half way up the walls.

  • @osterotto

    @osterotto

    2 жыл бұрын

    Because restoration doesn't work like that (at least in my opinion). You can try to restore and maintain, but not add. When you add you ruin the thing. Now you can go to these places and say this stone has been placed here 2000 years ago by the Romans, during this or that emperor. If you "restore" as you say, you just add things from 2021 however accurate. I don't know if I'm explaining myself. It becomes not original anymore. And may be despised by future generation with better technique and knowledge. 2nd thing talking about Rome in particular is that under every monument there's other strata full of things from older times. So by building a full building of this scale you may ruin or destroy forever what's under it. These things are what they are, relics from another time. Almost sacred. The Romans are not here now, and we have fragments of their life and literature, exactly how we have fragments of their architecture. You wouldn't add the missing part of a roman book. Just as you shouldn't "restore" the old buildings. But, since we more or less know fully some roman architectures, I'm all for rebuilding these buildings elsewhere. Like a Disney park but for Romans.

  • @dlevi67

    @dlevi67

    2 жыл бұрын

    FWIW, much of what you see has been (structurally) restored already - in many of the images of the video you can see quite a lot of new brickwork. This was (in many cases) the minimum amount of work required to make the place safe to visit.

  • @ealmiladi
    @ealmiladi2 жыл бұрын

    Another gem, thank you.

  • @jeremyd1869
    @jeremyd18692 жыл бұрын

    Outstanding video - as usual.

  • @johnmcglynn4102
    @johnmcglynn41022 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for the video. Most appreciated. Just a suggestion - it would be wonderful if you could possibly add photos of the one column that was taken to Florence and the tubs in front of the Palazzo Farnese.

  • @TitusLivy777
    @TitusLivy7772 жыл бұрын

    A very enjoyable video! Thank you.

  • @matthewfield3452
    @matthewfield34522 жыл бұрын

    Love your videos

  • @Gun5hip
    @Gun5hip2 жыл бұрын

    This really helps to visualize the space.

  • @AJB72826
    @AJB728262 жыл бұрын

    Great video as always Garrett! I hope that you make a video about the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri someday!

  • @nancyM1313
    @nancyM13132 жыл бұрын

    Enjoyed this video! 🕊❤🕊

  • @TheBigHambi
    @TheBigHambi2 жыл бұрын

    A question for the educated audience: Are there recommendations for a book on the fall of constantinople? I have a few books about byzantine history, but I would be interested in a detailed monography. Shoud be vivid but still with high academic standards

  • @toldinstone

    @toldinstone

    2 жыл бұрын

    For my money, Steven Runciman's "The Fall of Constantinople, 1453" is still the best

  • @TheBigHambi

    @TheBigHambi

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! What do people in general think of the book from Roger Crowley, did anyone read it?

  • @Martinmarshallmargella
    @Martinmarshallmargella2 жыл бұрын

    Appreciate your content

  • @Songbirdstress
    @Songbirdstress6 ай бұрын

    Your videos are wonderful, thank you.

  • @mrwaldoful
    @mrwaldoful2 жыл бұрын

    GREAT VIDEO, MUCH LOVE!

  • @wooning5356
    @wooning5356 Жыл бұрын

    Visited it this january. The ruins are breathtaking impressive, and through the virtual simulation you can see its former glory

  • @rogerkenworthy6380
    @rogerkenworthy63809 ай бұрын

    My GF and I had a picnic there and spent the entire afternoon enjoying this amazing building. There was no one there at the time which made it even more of a precious moment. My first degree is Ancient Art and Archaeology, hence, I knew some of the history behind the Baths. It is HUGE!

  • @mrmeowmeow710
    @mrmeowmeow7102 жыл бұрын

    Great video

  • @thax321
    @thax321 Жыл бұрын

    Nothing beats the left-over ruins of forgotten times like this. I wandered the streets of Ostia Antica last summer on a regular workday in September. Blistering 40c heat and maybe 6 to 10 people in the whole vicinity. I stopped and sat on the stairs of the old citadel in the evening and watched the sun slowly set. I watched the orange glow spreading over the ruined streets and buildings and could vividly imagine people bustling about the streets in front of me, people going home after work, on their way to the baths or perhaps some of them lighting the street lantarns for the night. The enormity of it all made a deep impression on me and even void of human life I could feel the energy that lingered of an ancient time. It was refreshing to visit Ostia after having spend some days in the centre of Rome, standing in line with thousands of other tourists just to visit the Forum or Colosseum for strictly an hour. I can recommend anyone to visit places like Ostia Antica or the Villa Adriana at Tivoli. These are the ruins of ancient Rome everyone should see.

  • @laurentbeaulieu4443
    @laurentbeaulieu44432 жыл бұрын

    Love going there in the Summer for the Opera Festival amid the magnificent ruins.

  • @leomarkaable1
    @leomarkaable12 жыл бұрын

    Quite a poet. I bought his book. Please write more, Garrett. I have a coin minted under the rule of the emperor Constantine, and on it is the Chi-Rho. I recall first seeing that symbol near the baptistry of my Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Wondrous the legacy of symbolism.

  • @leonatus221
    @leonatus221 Жыл бұрын

    Wow this must been sooooo wonderfully!!!

  • @VarangianGuard13
    @VarangianGuard132 жыл бұрын

    @ToldInStone As always you've ensnared my mind and ensorcelled my imagination, transporting me to a time and place far and away from my own.. Thank you for these visions of the past and a brief breath of the Imperium Romanum. I'll admit, you reeled me in with visions of marble, massages and Roman networking.. seeing and being in amongst the people of the past.. (Not saying the idea of snacks and copious cheap wine didn't help)

  • @ethelynsmyley7381
    @ethelynsmyley738111 ай бұрын

    Fascinating to see what remains! The original NY.C Penn Station of 1910 in Manhattan , was based on Caracalla, two great losses. 😣As a teenager I had at least one privileged time to be at Penn Station, singing for holiday in our school choir., on the grand staircase.It’s a gift to see the original inspiration .

  • @renedugarte3898
    @renedugarte389810 ай бұрын

    Very interesting thank you for showing us this amazing video well done 👍

  • @aka99
    @aka992 жыл бұрын

    great video! enjoy it much!