Start Date
4-20-2017 12:45 PM
End Date
4-20-2017 2:00 AM
Disciplines
Cultural History | History of Christianity | Social History
Subjects
Fathers of the church -- History and criticism, Fathers of the church -- Social and ethical teachings, Rome -- History -- Social aspects
Abstract
Ancient Rome was known for its extravagant public bathhouses. However, as medieval values began to emerge in Ante-Nicene Rome, the Church Fathers condemned the public and mixed-gender nature of these bathhouses. The bathhouses were declared unchaste, immoral, and unhealthy. The reasons the Church Fathers condemned bathing reveal the stringency of the Ante-Nicene Church towards even long-held traditions. However, these reasonings go beyond religious implications and also provide insight into the medical knowledge and sexism in Ante-Nicene Rome.
Rights
© 2017 Lilian Chan.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/19805
“A Curiosity Which Has Many Eyes”: Ante-Nicene Church Fathers’ Attitudes Towards Bathing
Ancient Rome was known for its extravagant public bathhouses. However, as medieval values began to emerge in Ante-Nicene Rome, the Church Fathers condemned the public and mixed-gender nature of these bathhouses. The bathhouses were declared unchaste, immoral, and unhealthy. The reasons the Church Fathers condemned bathing reveal the stringency of the Ante-Nicene Church towards even long-held traditions. However, these reasonings go beyond religious implications and also provide insight into the medical knowledge and sexism in Ante-Nicene Rome.