The
infamous Caracalla (A.D. 188-217) was the emperor
who extended Roman citizenship to all freemen
in the empire-largely, it is held, to raise taxes
for such projects as his wildly popular bath.
In the many years of its greatness, the complex
must have been staggering both in size and opulence:
it originally accommodated some 1,600 bathers
as well as other activities such as sports and
theatricals. The underground vaulted facilities
for servicing the calidarium (hot baths) and tepidarium
(lukewarm baths) were incredibly complex. In semiruins
today, the bath remains impressive, especially
on summer evenings, when it is used for staging
opera.
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