Lauro’s View of the Baths of Diocletian
To begin a study of the Baths of Diocletian, it is helpful to take stock of the multidimensional experience of ancient citizens in this grand bathing complex. Click on different parts of the Baths to get a sense of the path a bather might take from room to room. Giacomo Lauro’s engraving provides an engaging bird’s-eye view of the Baths of Diocletian – the viewer almost gets the experience of looking down into a diorama. (Note that the Baths do not appear here exactly as they would have in Roman times: there are some additions, omissions, and distortions of relative size.)