The terms balnea or thermae were the words the ancient Romans used for the buildings housing their public baths. Most Roman cities had at least one, if not many, such buildings, which were centers of public bathing and socialization.
Baths were extremely important for Romans. They stayed there for several hours and went daily. They were accompanied by one or more slaves. When they paid their fee, they would strip naked and put on sandals to protect their feet from heated floors.The slaves carried around their masters towels and got drinks for them. After bathing, they exercised. They did things such as running, mild weight-lifting, wrestling, and swimming. After exercising, oil and dirt got scraped off by servants.
Roman bath-houses were also provided for private villas, town houses and forts — these were also called thermae. They were supplied with water from an adjacent river or stream, or more normally, by an aqueduct. The design of baths is discussed by Vitruvius in De Architectura.
The Circus
The Circus is a famous example of Georgian architecture in the city of Bath, begun in 1754 and completed in 1768. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle. Divided into three segments of equal length, the Circus is a circular space surrounded by large townhouses. Each of the curved segments faces one of the three entrances, thereby ensuring that whichever way a visitor enters there is a classical facade straight ahead.
The Theatre Royal, Bath
The building that houses The Theatre Royal was erected in 1805. It replaced the Old Orchard Street Theatre, which was also called the Theatre Royal, and which is now a Freemason's Hall.
After a fire in 1863, the interior was redone by C.J.Phipps.
The theatre, along with the neighbouring Garrick's Head public house, is a Grade II* (particularly important buildings of more than special interest) and is considered a prime example of Georgian architecture.
The auditorium has tiers of ornate plasterwork, with red and gilt decoration, and a Trompe-l’oeil ceiling and glittering chandelier. It was extensively renovated in 1982, and refurbished in 1999.
The theatre itself is said to be haunted by The Grey Lady, who was an actress centuries ago. She has been
seen watching productions in the Grey Lady Box, and she leaves the distinctive scent of Jasmine. She has been seen and scented in recent years.
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