Roman Mansiones and Tabernae

With their extensive network of roads that blanketed much of Europe, the ancient Romans also produced a system of lodging at regular intervals for travelers. High-ranking officials and well-connected merchants with official government documentation could enjoy a comfortable night's sleep, a full meal, and fresh horses to take for the next leg of the journey at a stone-built inn known as a mansio.

Those who were less fortunate often had to take their chances with the lower-scale tabernae, which presented an array of hazards that included uncomfortable reed-stuffed mattresses, unsanitary kitchens, poor drinking water, and vermin. 

Travelers in rural areas, meanwhile, often found themselves bedding down in what were essentially glorified stables. Such remote lodging, with its poorly fastened doors, could leave customers at the mercy of other ill-intentioned guests or an unscrupulous innkeeper.

Asian Post Houses and Ryokan

The caravanserai that dotted the western sections of the Silk Road took on similar forms in the lodgings found nearer to the east end of the trade route, in China. Those in the employ of the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan enjoyed what tended to be luxurious stays in these dwellings, as documented by Venetian explorer Marco Polo: "Every 25 miles there is a beautiful, palatial post house where the messengers can stay in magnificent beds with silk sheets and every other luxury suitable for a king," he wrote. "There are always 400 well-kept horses ready, which are supplied and fed by nearby towns. There are more than 10,000 such palaces, all beautifully furnished, and more than 200,000 horses in all."

Elsewhere in Asia, a different form of lodging took root. When pilgrimages to Buddhist temples in Japan became popular among the eighth-century aristocracy, the temples were arranged to accommodate guests; this hospitality was said to mark the beginnings of the ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn often built in the vicinity of natural hot spring baths.

Some of the ryokan that emerged from this early period remain popular with modern travelers seeking a respite from their busy urban lives. Dating back to 705 CE, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously running hotel in the world. The second-oldest, Houshi Ryokan, has been operated by the same family since opening in 718 CE.

Inns of Medieval Europe

Along with the traffic of traveling tradesmen, the paths carved out by religious pilgrims prompted the need for places of shelter in medieval Europe. Although many of the hostels and hospices were overseen by benevolent monks, lodgers still had to deal with such discomforts as flea-infested floors and a log in lieu of a pillow.

Other long-standing inns of the region offered accommodations that were literally fit for a king. The Angel and Royal in Grantham, England, was said to have hosted King John in 1213, while its current restaurant was the site of Richard III receiving the Great Seal in 1483. Similarly, the historic Maids Head Hotel in Norwich provided lodging for Cardinal Wolsey in 1519 and for members of Queen Elizabeth I's entourage in 1587.

By the Late Middle Ages, England's larger cities had somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 to 20 inns. A typical inn featured a kitchen, stable, storage rooms, and varying degrees of private and communal sleeping quarters. Their proprietors stood out as prominent figures about town, with many innkeepers also serving in local government posts and as banking agents.

As it became increasingly common for vacationers to travel for pleasure, many older European coaching inns, so named for the coach travelers they received, began adding private sitting rooms and entertainment venues geared toward the longer-staying guests. One such example is the U.K.'s Lion Hotel Shrewsbury, which unveiled an elegant ballroom in the late 18th century.

United States: From Taverns to Modern Luxury

Spawned from the inns that populated Britain, the taverns of North American metropolitan centers took on their own distinct character by the early years of the new republic. Typically featuring six to 10 rooms in nondistinct buildings, these taverns were notorious for filthy conditions and indifferent service, with lodgers often forced to share rooms and even beds with strangers.

However, it wasn't long before the modern hotel emerged from these settings. From its opening in 1794, the City Hotel in New York came equipped with a ballroom, a bar, public parlors, and the largest circulating library in the country. Most important, the 137-room hotel offered its guests a luxury that was largely nonexistent in the downscale taverns: private sleeping rooms.

Boston's Exchange Coffee House upped the ante for extravagance: A seven-story behemoth with more than 200 rooms, the hotel featured a glass-paneled atrium, a ballroom, retail stores, a coffee house, and an exchange floor. Its mammoth dimensions led to its downfall, though, as firemen were unable to reach the 1818 blaze that began on its top floors and spread until the structure was incinerated less than 10 years after it was completed.

The quest to further refine the guest experience continued with the 1829 debut of Boston's 170-room Tremont House, which offered such amenities as indoor plumbing, individually keyed locks, and a bell communication system. While this sort of luxury accommodation was the exception instead of the norm, the widespread acceptance of the term “hotel” over “tavern” by this time demonstrated that there was no going back to the lax standards of the previous century.

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Crixus

Crixus was a contemporary of Spartacus and was among the enslaved gladiator trainees who fled Capua for refuge on Mount Vesuvius. After their unlikely escape, Crixus, Spartacus, and a gladiator named Oenomaus were chosen as leaders of the rebellion. As a trusted ally of Spartacus, Crixus played an important role in the Third Servile War.

In his book The Spartacus War, author Barry Strauss wrote that Crixus was far more popular than Spartacus, who “had only a small number of supporters.” Crixus was a cunning tactician who earned the trust of his fellow rebels, and, Strauss wrote, “had behind him the majority of his fellow Celts as well as the majority of the Germans.” Due to strategic disagreements, Crixus and his followers splintered off from the group led by Spartacus, which the Greek philosopher Plutarch claimed was because of Crixus’ “arrogance and presumption.” Shortly after this schism, Crixus fell in battle in the year 72 BCE, one year before Spartacus. 

Marcus Attilius

Unlike many enslaved people who were forced into becoming gladiators, Marcus Attilius was born free and willingly chose to fight. Attilius’ gladiatorial career is believed to have taken place around 70 to 79 CE, and his first fight was against a storied veteran named Hilarus at an amphitheater in Pompeii. This was unusual, given that gladiators of equal skill sets were often pitted against each other. But Attilius shocked the masses by handedly defeating Hilarus, and that feat was followed by the defeat of yet another veteran in his next match.

Attilius’ wins were so notable, they inspired contemporary artists to draw graffiti-like sketches of his triumphs. Today, these sketches can be found within the Nuceria Gate necropolis at Pompeii, as they were well preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. The drawings feature the triumphant Attilius with a “V” — meaning “victory” — next to his likeness, while his two veteran opponents are depicted as the losers. 

Flamma

Flamma was a gladiator of Syrian origin who thrived as a professional combatant during the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian (117 to 138 CE). There are no reliable records of Flamma’s early life, or how he ended up in gladiatorial school. But what we do know is that Flamma was highly revered among spectators of the sport, and he relished in the adoration.

According to Rachael Hanel’s book Gladiators, Flamma “exhibited the most well-known case of this love of attention.” Despite being awarded the rudis — a ceremonial baton that was granted to enslaved gladiators to grant them their freedom — on four separate occasions, Flamma refused to accept it and opted to return to the arena. He inspired a cult following among fans, before being struck down in gladiatorial battle at the age of 30. According to his gravestone in Sicily — where many of his gladiator fights took place — Flamma fought 34 times, winning 21 contests and tying nine. 

Commodus

Commodus is best known for being the emperor of Rome from 177 to 192 CE, and you may remember the villainous fictionalized version of him portrayed by actor Joaquin Phoenix in the 2000 film Gladiator. But unlike other emperors, Commodus was known to take up arms and enter the gladiator arena himself, largely to stoke his own ego. In fact, he was considered to be among the most volatile, selfish, and unsuccessful emperors in Roman history, and he even attempted to rename Rome “Colonia Commodiana” after himself. Commodus also believed that he was the god Hercules, which likely added to his delusions about his skills as a gladiator.

According to the fourth-century CE text Historia Augusta — a series of biographies about Roman emperors — Commodus was “born a gladiator, not really a prince.” It’s said he fought in hundreds of gladiatorial bouts, though these contests were often heavily skewed in his favor. No opponent wanted to harm the emperor of Rome, giving Commodus an unfair advantage. He was known for being ruthlessly violent in his quest for glory. According to legend, he once killed 100 bears from up in his imperial balcony, and he was also known to shoot a bow and arrow at lions from a safe distance. 

Many of Commodus’ contemporaries viewed his gladiatorial obsession as unbecoming of an emperor, given that many gladiators were from lower social classes. These tensions finally came to a head in 192 CE, when Commodus was assassinated by a wrestling partner. 

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• What a Typical Day Was Like in Ancient Egypt

Going to the Bathroom in Close Quarters

Public restrooms in ancient Rome were not for the shy. Some toilet holes were cut close together in long benches with no dividers between them, so people doing their business had very little wiggle room. Togas offered this setup a surprising amount of privacy, however, since the draped garments obscured pretty much everything. Still, the upper classes rarely used these public toilets, understandably preferring their own personal latrines. Even being connected to the same sewer system was considered too close for some wealthy Romans.

Exercising and Competing Nude

The word “gymnasium” comes from the Greek word gymnasion, meaning “school for naked exercise.” That’s because ancient Greek athletes largely eschewed clothing, instead covering themselves in oil and dust. The first recorded nude athlete was Orsippus of Megara, who competed in the 15th Olympic Games in 720 BCE. According to some ancient scholars, his loincloth fell off during the race and he ran on to victory. A rival story paints a different picture, claiming Orsippus actually tripped over his loincloth and died. Either way, competing nude in the Olympics and other athletic events became a common custom in ancient Greece. At the end of the sixth century BCE, athletes in Athens briefly tried wearing loincloths again, but soon abandoned them and returned to full nudity.

Literally Scraping Sweat Off the Skin

Ancient Greeks and Romans took cleaning themselves pretty seriously, but they couldn’t exactly hop into the shower and build up a lather. Rather, some people used a hook-shaped instrument called a strigil to wipe moisture off of their skin. Strigils were commonly used by athletes, who would slather their bodies in oil before exercising, sometimes adding sand to increase grip. Afterward, they’d apply fresh oil, scrape all the sweat, oil, and dirt off the skin, and finish with water and a sponge. Fans would sometimes purchase what the strigil left behind. The cleaning instruments were prized possessions, and ancient Romans sometimes paired them with a decorated oil vessel called a balsamarium.

Stamping Bread 

Just before putting bread in the oven, ancient Roman bakers would often place a bronze stamp on top of the dough, which would leave an indent as it baked. The symbol it left behind would identify the baker behind the loaf, similar to a maker’s mark on fine ceramics. Bakers at the time typically shared ovens — in-home ovens were a fire hazard — so using a stamp helped bakers keep track of their products and pick up the right loaf once the bread was done. It was important to keep track of your bread not just for professional reputation, but for legal reasons, too. Bread was strictly regulated in ancient Rome, and government officials would inspect the weight, size, and cost of the finished products to prevent fraud.

• What Did Ancient People Dream About?
• What Was the Bronze Age Like?
• What a Typical Day Was Like in Ancient Egypt