Public baths (thermae) were all over Rome. They were in large cities and small towns alike. Under the Republic they had hot, warm, and cold-water baths (caldaria, tepidaria, frigidaria). Alongside these baths were the exercise areas (palaestra). The baths near Pompeii's forum (75 BC) are an excellent example of the early type of public baths. Under the empire these structures became grander. Sone examples of these new baths are the Baths of Caracalla (ca. AD 217) in Rome. These also included libraries, lecture halls, and vast vaulted public spaces. They were decorated with statues, mosaics, painting, and stuccos.
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