These structures reflect the evolution of Roman bathing culture from the Republican period to the early Imperial age, incorporating both traditional Italic elements and standardized Roman innovations such as hypocaust heating, barrel vaulting, and socially stratified access.

Pompeii preserves six major public bath complexes, including the Stabian, Forum, Suburban, Central, and Sarno Baths, along with a number of smaller balnea in private domus. Their chronological range spans from the 4th century BCE to the final decades before the eruption, offering a unique archaeological record of architectural transitions and urban responses to natural disasters, such as the earthquake of circa 62 CE. Differences in decoration, layout, and construction techniques across these complexes reveal the growing role of baths as both civic institutions and political symbols. Ongoing excavation, conservation, and research continue to provide critical insights into Roman hygiene practices, heating technologies, gender segregation, and urban infrastructural planning.

circa 150 BCE

Sarno Baths
The Sarno Baths (Terme del Sarno) are located in the eastern sector of Pompeii, near the Porta di Sarno. Construction began shortly before the eruption of 79 CE and remained unfinished at the time of the disaster. The complex represents the most recent and architecturally advanced bath project in the city, featuring innovations such as reinforced concrete barrel vaulting and extensive use of hydraulic mortar. The plan included both men's and women's sections, a large palaestra, and a natatio. The orientation and layout suggest adaptation to urban expansion and an increasing emphasis on public leisure infrastructure during the final decades of the city's life.

circa 125 BCE

Stabian Baths
The Stabian Baths (Terme Stabiane) are the oldest and largest bath complex in Pompeii, occupying an entire insula at the intersection of Via dell’Abbondanza and Via Stabiana. Originally constructed during the 4th century BCE and heavily renovated in the 2nd century BCE and again in the Augustan period, the complex displays a clear evolution from earlier Oscan bathing customs to fully Romanized architectural typologies. The layout includes separate men's and women's facilities, a double palaestra, and an intricate hypocaust system. The Stabian Baths are critical for understanding the development of Roman bathing culture in the early stages of urbanization in Campania.

circa 90-80 BCE

Republican Period Baths
"Republican Period Baths" is a modern scholarly designation for early bathing installations constructed prior to the Augustan age, primarily during the 2nd century BCE. These include the original phases of the Stabian Baths and possibly smaller private balnea integrated into elite domus structures. Characterized by modest scale, irregular planning, and minimal ornamentation, they reflect pre-Imperial experimentation with heating technology and public hygiene practices. Their features often lack the symmetry, axial planning, and elaborate stucco decoration of later Imperial models, but they are crucial for tracing the architectural and social integration of bathing into Roman civic life.

circa 80 BCE

Forum Baths
The Forum Baths (Terme del Foro) are situated along the Via delle Terme, directly north of the Forum and opposite the Temple of Fortuna Augusta. Constructed soon after the foundation of the Roman colony in 80 BCE, they were built with public funds and maintained by municipal authority. The structure comprises separate men’s and women’s sections, each with its own entrance and full sequence of bathing rooms: apodyterium, frigidarium, tepidarium, and calidarium. Notably compact, the Forum Baths nevertheless employed advanced hypocaust heating and decorative schemes. They were the only baths known to be fully operational at the time of the 79 CE eruption, having been swiftly restored after the earthquake of circa 62 CE.

circa 14-37 CE

Suburban Baths
The Suburban Baths (Terme Suburbane) are located outside the Porta Marina, near the southwest edge of the city, and were constructed in the early Imperial period, likely under Augustus or Tiberius. Built into a sloped terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples, the baths include male-only facilities and are notable for their well-preserved erotic frescoes, discovered during 20th-century excavations. The complex features a compact linear progression from apodyterium to calidarium, with significant emphasis on decorative program and maritime views. The Suburban Baths were privately operated and may have functioned with restricted admission or as a commercial facility.

circa 50 CE

Central Baths
The Central Baths (Terme Centrali) occupy a prominent location in Regio IX and were under construction at the time of the eruption in 79 CE. This ambitious project was intended to be the largest public bath complex in Pompeii, incorporating a grand palaestra, symmetrical bathing suites, and vaulted roofing throughout. The plan reflects Imperial metropolitan trends, including a single mixed-gender bathing circuit and elimination of duplicated facilities. Construction techniques indicate use of opus latericium and advanced water distribution systems. The unfinished state of the building provides critical evidence for late urban development in Pompeii after the earthquake of circa 62 CE.