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The Greek and Roman Baths
The Greek bath was a revitalizing experience not limited to the bath tub. A hot bath was prepared at home with boiling water from a copper cauldron steaming on an open fire and cool well water, usually followed by anointing with olive oil. Oil was applied to counteract the effects of the drying sun, and prevent stiffness after drying off. Bathing in the ocean was a popular activity thought to calm the nerves. Over time, bathing took on an almost ritualistic significance, so much so that Greek literature quite often warns against it becoming a public custom, even though it was a widely practiced in private.

The Public Baths
The style of bathing practiced by the Spartans (around 750 B.C.) was done in cold water only. On the other side were the Greek upper class, who followed the immoderate tradition of past aristocrats. Greek philosopher Plato communicated his perspective. During his time, he wrote, hot bathing was a privilege reserved for the kings and their aristocratic court. During the ensuing three or four centuries, the growing number of high-class citizens in Greek society emulated their royal habits. It was from these social habits of the Greeks that the Romans inherited their love of the bath.

It was in the loutron of the Greek gymnasium that washing and bathing took place. This was an open-air space, and exclusively used for the purpose of showering, washing, rubbing, scraping their skin with strigils, and anointing each other. The loutron was nearly always a cold-water bathing room. Later, during the Roman era, hot bathing became available.

Evidence from architectural remains points to a table made of marble, slate or other stone, being used for massage. It seems evident that Greek baths, even the later ones which were quite large and palatial, provided massage within the steam rooms, hot-bath rooms, or the lounge areas where skin scraping and anointing with Olive Oil and powder were offered. Some earlier baths contained tubs that were only a few feet deep, with steps leading out of the water or ledges along their sides. Perhaps the aliptae, as the slave massager was called, worked on patrons while they were standing in the water or sitting or lying on the ledges or steps as well.

Towels were commonly used and taken to the bath. Towels were also used to apply friction by rubbing the body with them; the course texture of the towel reddened the body, after which oil was applied for therapeutic purposes.