Steam Baths of Perge by brewgirlca
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Many of you got very close with papasmrf giving the most complete answer to the "WTF is this?" from last time. What you were seeing was the end of a steam pipe and the numerous fine slabs were added or removed to control the flow of steam from the heating chamber to the steam room itself. Thus any part of the steam room could have hotter or cooler sections and the entire room could be seasonally adjusted.
What we are seeing here is the remnant of the steam room and the underlying heating chamber. The floor has collapsed and so now the chamber and steam room are one vast space. You can see the classic Roman arch which gave access to a change room beyond.
Teams of slaves would toil in the lower chamber, boiling huge vats of water which would rise up into the steam room where the clients would enjoy a steam bath. What a juxtaposition of misery and luxury there must have been. Of course the Romans for the most part didn't seem to give a crap about the life quality of their slaves.
Wickedly ingenious, no?
Previous Perge Baths
"Roman Civil Engineering"
"Roman Civil Engineering"
Comments (24)
Very cool (hot) image and function was I right about you rotating the image?
Mike: To be honest, I am not sure. I have a software autorotation feature but the image was not rotated. There were many of these in the surviving floor and none in the wall that I remember. However, as was pointed out the brick on the right is suspicous and makes it look like the image was rotated. I did not notice that until Rod specifically pointed it out. It's a mystery, but the function of moving steam works in any direction.
It just amazes me after all these hundreds of years the buildings are still there.
Magnificent photos and Info Roxy,Thank you my friend!:-))Ironically,somewhere in this world, some people still live like the slaves!:-))Time doesn't change everything!:-))))))
Thanks for the complete scoop on the stones, Roxy. I've seen artists' conceptions of the 'boiler rooms' under the baths. You're so right - what a juxtaposition. Definitely not 'As above, so below' in this instance. This is a wonderful image and thanks for sharing!
What a fantastic capture Roxy, it really is amazing what they accomplished
Nice image and history lesson, great work
I just eat this stuff up and ask for more...more please! ;~P
Thanks for the answer! And the very nice picture!:) Well done , Roxy.
Wonderful shot and info my friend!!!
Great picture and interesting info.
Fascinating stone structures & textures - I like the way they're displayed in all different sizes in this photo - an amazing place to visit I'm sure. And you're right, of course: a life of luxury for the Roman conquerors & a life of misery for their slaves. While things may not be quite as extreme today, there's a lesson to be learned today, as we see more & more income disparity between the super rich & the vast majority of working people. It's neither a sustainable nor a desirable path...
Wonderful capture of this amazing place Roxy, I love the stone textures! hugs Jane xx
Enjoying these images :O-)
Awesome Roxy... great puzzle and super amazed at the mastery of the ancients.
Seen this outside Chester. Reminded me of raised flooring common in computer environments. Then, the principle is essentially the same: heat for one, cooling for the other (along with access). Didn't realize that stones were used for ventilation flow.... clever. Great shot.
I think it's so ingenious that they figured all that out. The slaves must have been horribly miserable down there amongst the boiling pots. I wonder how many tales of woe there were to go along with the luxury this gave the upper classes.
I think those Romans came up with these lousy shift hours I'm working...... wink This is a wonderful bit of eye-candy, Roxy - just look at all those wonderful textures! I'm a sucker for texture shots, and this is just a beauty! Hey, I have an excuse for seeing that brick.... I had some Pink Floyd on internet radio at the time! LOL!
very well-composed and richly textured shot - i love the accompanying historical synopsis; it adds a deeper dimension to one's appreciation of the piece. excellent work!
What range of shades in this photo! Similar type of steam baths were also seen in Herod's Palace at Masada... but besides the Caldarium (Hot/Steam bath room) and the Tepidarium (Warm bath Room) they also had a Frigidarium (Cold bath room).
I read your description of this photo, but even after that, I'm still struck by how this actually makes me think of the sort of structure one might have also found in ancient salt-works: the kind that didn't rely on solar evaporation. I don't really know if the Romans boiled brine to force the crystallization of salt, but I know that the Romans made extensive use of salt-works and this image made me think of that. As for this image itself: you'd make an excellent archaeology photographer! I'm also struck by the different materials that seem to have been used. The brick work (known as Roman Brick) is quite obvious, but the larger blocks of stone look more like something quarried rather than man-made. That adds a nice bit of mysterious complexity to this image, and the overall wealth of textures and colors (almost exclusively warm) give additional kick to your written description. Your reference to the savage reality of slavery and the abject misery the slaves must have felt is driven home by the lack of cooler colors in this image. You've got warms and you've got neutrals...nothing cold. I rather like that. I love the intensity of the light and the way that every shape in here is picked out perfectly.
I am like DAGrant...........can only imagine how those slaves felt.......... while the upper class and even upper lived the life of luxury and finesse....... Great pic sis..........and great story Hugs Susan~
Very kewl--knew it had to be plumbing water related...
Fascinating.