Part XII - ‘What could be worse than Nero, but what could be better than Nero’s baths’

The Romans loved to bathe. They built numerous public and private bathhouses, large and small, across the ancient city and throughout the empire.

Join me on my next guided tour around the ruins of some of these bathhouses including Nero’s luxurious thermae – so spectacular it led the poet Martial to exclaim ‘what could be worse than Nero, but what could be better than Nero’s baths?’

As you watch the video, you may like to think about the following discussion points.

• Why was bathing so important to the Romans?

• What innovations or techniques do you think the Romans used to construct and maintain their bathhouses?

Share your thoughts in the comments area.

You’ll hear more about why Nero was so hated later this week, when we take a detailed look at the Colosseum.