The History of Bathing

Episode Description:

Why did ancient Romans bathe daily while Europeans in the Middle Ages feared water could kill them? What do soap made from animal fat, medieval plague paranoia, and public bathhouses turned brothels all have in common? In our very first episode, we take a plunge into the surprising and sometimes stinky history of bathing.

Join host John Williamson—history degree holder, almost history teacher, and proud shower enthusiast—as he scrubs away the layers of history to reveal the cultural, religious, and downright bizarre ways humans have tried to stay clean (or not) over the centuries.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why ancient Mesopotamians were some of the first known bathers

• The role of bathing in Roman social life and politics

• How medieval Europe viewed water with deep suspicion

• Why bathhouses became controversial hotspots (literally and figuratively)

• How a shift in public health and germ theory brought soap back into fashion

• Fun facts like why French kings were rarely seen with a washcloth

Sources & Research References:

1. Ashenburg, Katherine. The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007).

2. Classen, Constance. The Deepest Sense: A Cultural History of Touch (University of Illinois Press, 2012).

3. Smith, Virginia. Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity (Oxford University Press, 2007).

4. Porter, Roy. The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity (W.W. Norton, 1999).

5. Vigarello, Georges. Concepts of Cleanliness: Changing Attitudes in France Since the Middle Ages (Cambridge University Press, 2008).

6. Fagan, Garrett G. Bathing in Public in the Roman World (University of Michigan Press, 2002).

7. “Roman Baths,” The British Museum. https://britishmuseum.org

8. “The Rise and Fall of Public Bathing,” Smithsonian Magazine.

9. “The History of Soap,” Royal Society of Chemistry. https://rsc.org

10. “Germ Theory and Hygiene in the 19th Century,” Science Museum UK. https://sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk

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