Spongia

Higiene y prácticas en las letrinas romanas

          In the collective imagination, Ancient Rome is often associated with the splendor of aqueducts, monumental baths, and an advanced sense of urban engineering. However, not everything in the daily hygiene of Rome was marble and perfumes. Public latrines, common in the cities of the Empire, were functional but simple spaces, with perforated stone benches lined up over drainage channels.

          Para limpiarse tras la defecación los romanos utilizaban una herramienta específica: la spongia, una esponja natural atada al extremo de un palo de madera. Esta se enjuagaba en un cubo con agua —a menudo mezclada con vinagre o salmuera— y quedaba disponible para el siguiente usuario. Aunque práctica, la reutilización de estas esponjas favorecía la transmisión de enfermedades gastrointestinales, como la fiebre tifoidea o el cólera, especialmente en espacios muy concurridos.

          On an urban scale, it is estimated that by the 4th century AD the city of Rome had more than 140 public latrines. Some even had continuous water flow systems to carry waste into the sewers, while others were more rudimentarily connected to pits or jars. In households —especially those of higher rank— it was common to have containers that were later emptied by slaves.
          In contrast, more modest homes did not have a private toilet: chamber pots were used, emptied into communal jars or, directly, into the public streets.