In the Roman civilization, physiological needs constituted a social activity like any other.
Roman culture is known for its fondness for public baths and baths, grounds that were authentic meeting places for the empire’s citizens.
Their concern for hygiene was so great, that Rome became the first city in the world to own running water and a sewer system; soon, many other cities of this civilization had public toilets.
However, unlike today’s public bathrooms, where privacy prevails, in Rome these facilities honored the qualification of public. Thus, his entrance was not only open to any citizen, but once inside, the physiological needs were made in plain sight of all present, without any kind of separation or barrier dividing the space between the different “excused.”
Thus, public toilets combined their function of physiological relief with that of being one more social activity among the many cultivated by members of Roman society.
In addition to this catchy feature, the method they used to clean their buttocks is also highlighted.
In the absence of paper, the bathrooms frequented by the privileged classes used a sea sponge tied to the end of a stick, which was then washed into a saltwater canal that ran on the floor. In slum neighborhoods, instead, they had to turn to hands, an option that was adopted for centuries by many other towns. However, these bathrooms had a fountain intended for their users to wash their hands after using them.
Little historical anecdotes like this certainly help us today appreciate the breakthrough that an invention as simple as toilet paper much more.