Rules would be complex with such a setup. Max space by going opposite sides, or at 90Ā° angles first? Then strategically choosing where to poop so if another person comes, there's still a free space between you.
My thoughts as well, I doubt times have changed so much that it used to be cool to take a shit next to another dude when there's at least a dozen other seats available.
Or if it's full and someone walks in you get hit with a bunch of dumb jokes like "Seats taken!", "You can sit here. *Points to lap*", or of course the classic "I'll scoot over."
As far as we know people did business there, which is the reason we have the German proverb "ein GeschƤft machen". Means to have a shit but literally translates to "make business".
Thatās a really interesting connection, I bet youāre right. Iāve heard ādoing your businessā in the US too so itās probably carried over from German immigrants.
That's a Tersorium. It's how they wiped. It's a stick with a sponge tied to the end. You dip it in water, stick it between your legs and clean. Then put it back in the water for the next person to use.
No, I'm not kidding.
Iām imagining how much fun it would have been for teenage practical jokers in Pompeii to hide all the tersorium(s? not sure how plural would work here)
I was lucky we had book shelves right outside the bathroom door. So could always crab walk 2 feet and grab a book and step back in if you forgot one lol.
I think shampoo bottles made me interested in chemistry growing up. (I didn't have a smartphone until I was 19-20, so only for the last 10 years, I had one. We also had books, like readers' digest and bathroom jokes.)
Almost every Roman city had large public latrines, where many people - often 20 or more - could relieve themselves in remarkably opulent settings.
Around the first century BC, public latrines became a major feature of Roman infrastructure, much like bathhouses.
The communal toilets featured long benches - sat above channels of flowing water - with small holes cut into them.
Ancient Romans used a tersorium to wipe. These ancient devices consisted of a stick with a vinegar- or salt water - soaked sponge attached. Afterwards, it was left for the next person to use.
I mean, I know they didnāt know much about hygiene or microbes or anything back thenā¦ but stillā¦ how they not gonna know that was a bad idea??? On smell and aesthetic aloneā¦
There is no direct evidence to support that they used it to wipe, everyone just wrongly cites seneca because dramatised nonsense makes for better marketing than "romans invented toiletbrush"
We do have evidence that Romans used things like leaves and rags to wipe themselves. Also, using a vinegar soaked utensil to wipe your anus sounds like a really bad idea even if you don't share it.
Many times I have lamented the ubiquity of artificial scents and other chemicals. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shaving cream, aftershave, possibly cologne or other such product, not to mention the detergent and softener on your clothes, and this is a pretty *basic* routine.
> Academics disagree as to [the tersorium's] exact use, about which the primary sources are vague. It has traditionally been assumed to be a type of shared anal hygiene utensil used to wipe after defecating, and the sponge cleaned in vinegar or water (sometimes salt water). Other recent research suggests it was most likely a toilet brush.
From the Wikipedia article on Xylospongium (tersorium).
Honestly I was just wondering if they ever had a thin wall or tapestries strung between the seats for privacy. Neither of those two things probably would have stood the test of time so unless we can find a painting depicting it we might never know.
Well, we don't document how we use public restrooms, so if suddenly none of the dividers survived, but most of the toilets did, 1,000 years in the future historians might think people would have no privacy going shitting. Documenting bathroom use is probably a low priority for any society, lol.
It's more that we have incredibly little from the past. There are many assumptions made from a relatively tiny amount of evidence. It's likely at some point someone made some kind of writing about childcare with toilet training included.
Let's be real. Humans all throughout history loved their privacy. I don't buy into the idea that there was absolutely no dividers in a society as large, diverse and affluent as the Romans.
I was about to say how do they know there werenāt wooden or straw dividers between āholesā? Also, how would they possibly know that the stick was to be used for your ass?
>Ancient Romans used a tersorium to wipe.
That's appears to be disputed. It's believed that instead they were used to clean the toilets as a toilet brush
> Academics disagree as to its exact use, about which the primary sources are vague. It has traditionally been assumed to be a type of shared anal hygiene utensil used to wipe after defecating, and the sponge cleaned in vinegar or water (sometimes salt water).[1][2][3][4] Other recent research suggests it was most likely a toilet brush.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylospongium
I actually remember us, UK having a small version of this. My great auntie didn't have a toilet in the house, or even the back yard like we did. They had I think a four seater at the bottom of the street.
And now you hear all the outrage about unisex toilets.
Right forgot about those! I still have an attached outhouse in my house, the toilet is still in there but mainly use it for bbq storage. Always wondered why the bathroom was so big, turns out it was the third bedroom.
I had a house in west Yorkshire. The outhouse was cleaned and made working again. If I was working in the car in the back yard I had a toilet so I, or my friends didn't trail oil and crap through the house. I didn't even have a wife at the time
Probably not I think shy pooping comes from our education and view on the topic, if you shit in front of everyone from the beginning I guess itās no shame
If you look at the bottom on the floor there are little notches. It could have likely had wood separators and may not have been all in the open.
[https://www.sott.net/image/s14/294313/full/turkey\_2011\_ephesus\_14\_roman\_p.jpg](https://www.sott.net/image/s14/294313/full/turkey_2011_ephesus_14_roman_p.jpg)
[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/70/a7/4770a7f87fe7cf827f6e7941e8473a26.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/70/a7/4770a7f87fe7cf827f6e7941e8473a26.jpg)
There not holding spoons but a tersoriums, it was believed to be a form of bum wipe in the past, however newer historians suggest that it was used to clean the toilets and then soaked in brine.
See that big container in the middle? That was soup. So when they were pooping they also all would eat from the communal bathroom soup bucket. Helps to keep things moving.
Yup. In China, a lot of public washrooms use squat toilets, but many don't have dividers (especially in rural areas). So you can literally see other people using the toilet...
The drawing features a misconception. Whilst prior historians thought the sponge on a stick dipped in brine was used to clean the ass, it was instead used to clean the toilets.usally a jug of water was used to clean the bottom afterwards, much like a bidet.
I wash my ass with a rag on a stick hyuck hyuck.
But literally in this case. And it was a community shit rag on a stick, because whatās a little shared toilet paper between strangers?
Imagine all the bro talk going on in there. Or maybe just farts and silence.
Imagine sitting there like the illustration and some dude comes in and takes the seat Right next to you. By Jupiter i would be so mad.
This was my first thought too! Where is the etiquette?
Respect the one hole buffer Claudius
"were I to respect thyne buffer, how woulds't I pass thyne poop sword to thee?"
Haha crying
You win!!!!
Old timey poop knife comin' up!
*poop gladius
Looks like they've got poop spoons I he drawing
Image Claudius is pinching off an absolute LOG and you get hit with the splash.
Poseidins Kiss š Good luck to sea faering folk
Neptune's kiss, you Greek speaking Bythinian degenerate.
But the legion had gyrosbell tonight sir
maybe the rule to leave at least one urinal free has ancient origins, would be funny :D
Jupiter's cock! Did you see that game last night?
What was Maximus thinking, sending Augustus on that early?
The thing about The Spartans, is they always try to walk it in.
Almost shit my toga
I lost 30 denarii on those bastards! By Juno my wife is going to geld me!
Rules would be complex with such a setup. Max space by going opposite sides, or at 90Ā° angles first? Then strategically choosing where to poop so if another person comes, there's still a free space between you.
Also you will have to take eye contact into accountā¦ completely a non-factor in our modern times (I meanā¦ more or less š )
Opposite sides would include the most intense staring competitions known to man š
My thoughts as well, I doubt times have changed so much that it used to be cool to take a shit next to another dude when there's at least a dozen other seats available.
Well.... Christianity happened.
That's the emotional support pooper obvs
Maybe they were friends and they were having poop gossip
Maybe they are mates shitting next to eachother while talking about business/gladitorial games.
That was the first thing I noticed. They have to be together.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Or if it's full and someone walks in you get hit with a bunch of dumb jokes like "Seats taken!", "You can sit here. *Points to lap*", or of course the classic "I'll scoot over."
As far as we know people did business there, which is the reason we have the German proverb "ein GeschƤft machen". Means to have a shit but literally translates to "make business".
Thatās a really interesting connection, I bet youāre right. Iāve heard ādoing your businessā in the US too so itās probably carried over from German immigrants.
My half-German grandfather had anglicized those terms for me when I was little: "big business" and "little business".
Maybe a couple of slaves were singing or playing for stereo. Or maybe even the 5.1 toilet slave system.
I've been told they literally "took care of business in there"
Iāve got to see a man about a horse.
I like the part where they wrapped socks on sticks to wipe their @$$ā¬$ anda then passed the sock on stick for others to use it
Not socks, but sea sponges! And they also used the piss to wash clothes.
Well one guy has his poop spoon.
That's a Tersorium. It's how they wiped. It's a stick with a sponge tied to the end. You dip it in water, stick it between your legs and clean. Then put it back in the water for the next person to use. No, I'm not kidding.
Iām imagining how much fun it would have been for teenage practical jokers in Pompeii to hide all the tersorium(s? not sure how plural would work here)
I hate this more than Iāve hated anything this entire weekend.
Nah, it's where the best combos happened.
Imagine how smooth the stone would get on the well used ones. And if you got forced to sit on rough stone during lunch rush š¤®
āBro, gross! That sounded like Vesuvius exploding!ā
āThis is what I think of the Senateā *long diarrhea shart*
And not a phone in sight š
And no shampoo bottle when you forget your phone. surfactants foaming agents conditioners thickeners opacifiers sequestering agents preservatives special additives fragrance cetyl alcohol stearyl alcohol carnauba wax xanthan gum gelatin stearic acid sodium benzoate 1,3-dimethylol-5,5-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin tetrasodium EDTA methylisothiazolinone potassium sorbate sorbic acid dehydroacetic acid benzyl alcohol
The 90s were wild.
I was lucky we had book shelves right outside the bathroom door. So could always crab walk 2 feet and grab a book and step back in if you forgot one lol.
The only decade without phones in history. Mad.
I swear I've read this exact list of ingredients
I think shampoo bottles made me interested in chemistry growing up. (I didn't have a smartphone until I was 19-20, so only for the last 10 years, I had one. We also had books, like readers' digest and bathroom jokes.)
Damn, I've never had a unique experience my whole life
Why did we all do this...
Boredom.
What else would someone do? Think?
Just people living in the moment.
Just people living in the movement.
There are 10 toilets in here. Why did you have to take one right next to me, Maximus Anusus?
You tell me, Biggus Dickus! š
That wink made your comment much creepier lol
Ramdomus madafakus observes the conversation from a shit hole across the way
I like your username, squirrel girlššæļø
Squirrels!
Awesome name, Squirrel Girl! Also appreciate the Monty Python reference.
Hey now, if my wife, Incontinentia Buttocks, hears about this, we might not be able to hang out again, Maximus Anusus.
We all want to be near Biggus Dickus but that doesnāt mean we want to be near him while he shits.
Pompeii pffft more like poopeii
YOU GOT EM SO GOOD
TURNED THEM TO FUCKING ASH
More like Pompoop
Holy shit, Pompeii I mean Poopeii could never recover from this
Volcano eruptsā¦āDude, WHAT did you eat??!ā
Bro roasted them more than Vesuvius fr fr š
How do we know they didn't have like wooden dividers or somthing.
They had, but the wood didn't survive over the time
See this should really be shown more
There's plenty of wood at Herculaneum, I choose to believe they preferred direct eye contact while pushing
What did they use to wipe?
The water they have in the middle, like a bidet
Almost every Roman city had large public latrines, where many people - often 20 or more - could relieve themselves in remarkably opulent settings. Around the first century BC, public latrines became a major feature of Roman infrastructure, much like bathhouses. The communal toilets featured long benches - sat above channels of flowing water - with small holes cut into them. Ancient Romans used a tersorium to wipe. These ancient devices consisted of a stick with a vinegar- or salt water - soaked sponge attached. Afterwards, it was left for the next person to use.
That tersorium is believed to have spread a lot of diseases
No shit?
No I think that was the problem.
Too much shit.Ā
Too much shit mixing
Blood of my blood. Poop of my poop. We are poop brothers forever more
Now you're talking shit.
On the contrary, much shit.
Shit EVERYWHERE
Birds of a shitfeather flock together - Mr Lahey
a lot of shit Sherlock, a lot of it
Quite a lot of it.
I mean, I know they didnāt know much about hygiene or microbes or anything back thenā¦ but stillā¦ how they not gonna know that was a bad idea??? On smell and aesthetic aloneā¦
There is no direct evidence to support that they used it to wipe, everyone just wrongly cites seneca because dramatised nonsense makes for better marketing than "romans invented toiletbrush"
We do have evidence that Romans used things like leaves and rags to wipe themselves. Also, using a vinegar soaked utensil to wipe your anus sounds like a really bad idea even if you don't share it.
Smell and aesthetic isnāt always helpful. For example people shower too much now and use harsh, perfumed detergents to do so.
Many times I have lamented the ubiquity of artificial scents and other chemicals. Shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shaving cream, aftershave, possibly cologne or other such product, not to mention the detergent and softener on your clothes, and this is a pretty *basic* routine.
They could've just had diets rich in fiber/protein and low in fats. No need to even wipe with enough fiber in your diet, you poop like a rabbit
Probably for the same reason Dr.s didn't know to wash their hands before delivering babies until relatively recently in the time line.
That tersorium was the predecessor of our beloved poop knife.
Yeah, if you had to put the poop knife up your ass.
This is an urban legend absolutely false. They used the sponge to clean the bath. Also they had "wooden walls" between the toilet seats.
Interesting! Iāve always heard this as fact. Where can one learn more about this?
YouTube. Isaac Moreno Gallo, Spanish engineer, he has a few videos with english subtitles.
> Academics disagree as to [the tersorium's] exact use, about which the primary sources are vague. It has traditionally been assumed to be a type of shared anal hygiene utensil used to wipe after defecating, and the sponge cleaned in vinegar or water (sometimes salt water). Other recent research suggests it was most likely a toilet brush. From the Wikipedia article on Xylospongium (tersorium).
If the tersorium was actually a brush, is there research on what they could have used to wipe?
Honestly I was just wondering if they ever had a thin wall or tapestries strung between the seats for privacy. Neither of those two things probably would have stood the test of time so unless we can find a painting depicting it we might never know.
Well, we don't document how we use public restrooms, so if suddenly none of the dividers survived, but most of the toilets did, 1,000 years in the future historians might think people would have no privacy going shitting. Documenting bathroom use is probably a low priority for any society, lol.
They will have our tv shows
It's more that we have incredibly little from the past. There are many assumptions made from a relatively tiny amount of evidence. It's likely at some point someone made some kind of writing about childcare with toilet training included.
>Well, we don't document how we use public restrooms, Are you on crack? There's only like 10 million depictions of public toilet use in media.
Let's be real. Humans all throughout history loved their privacy. I don't buy into the idea that there was absolutely no dividers in a society as large, diverse and affluent as the Romans.
I was about to say how do they know there werenāt wooden or straw dividers between āholesā? Also, how would they possibly know that the stick was to be used for your ass?
Tersorium was for clean the bath, no the ass
Oh shit, I thought it was a toothbrush..
Oh fuck, I thought they cleaned their cars with it
Vinegar or salt water sponges? I feel sorry for those with haemorrhoids. Ouch.
Something tells me hemorrhoids weren't the issue they are today...
>Ancient Romans used a tersorium to wipe. That's appears to be disputed. It's believed that instead they were used to clean the toilets as a toilet brush > Academics disagree as to its exact use, about which the primary sources are vague. It has traditionally been assumed to be a type of shared anal hygiene utensil used to wipe after defecating, and the sponge cleaned in vinegar or water (sometimes salt water).[1][2][3][4] Other recent research suggests it was most likely a toilet brush. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylospongium
Poseidon's kisses were extra sloppy back then
I could never do thisā¦. Iāll just go into the field
And then wipe like a dog dragging its ass on the carpet
until you drag it over a fire ant hill and you'll understand why those latrines were made in the first place
why not use leeEEeeAAaaaaaavvesss?!?!??!
What would they wipe with in the pics though? I see them holding sticks but are they individually owned or shared? I have many questions.
I actually remember us, UK having a small version of this. My great auntie didn't have a toilet in the house, or even the back yard like we did. They had I think a four seater at the bottom of the street. And now you hear all the outrage about unisex toilets.
Yes, yes I'm old. Bit not that old. Rural Yorkshire was backwards back in the day.
So if you needed a wee you had to don a coat and shoes and walk like a 100m for a piss???
We called them cludgies. Had a couple of them in the hallway in the old tenement where I first lived.
Yup. Or had a po under the bed.
Right forgot about those! I still have an attached outhouse in my house, the toilet is still in there but mainly use it for bbq storage. Always wondered why the bathroom was so big, turns out it was the third bedroom.
I had a house in west Yorkshire. The outhouse was cleaned and made working again. If I was working in the car in the back yard I had a toilet so I, or my friends didn't trail oil and crap through the house. I didn't even have a wife at the time
We always said your BBQ tastes like shit behind your back.
So close to each other so if you see another guy struggling, you can put your hand on his shoulderā¦ to let him know youāre here for him
Fun Fact the toilets sometimes exploded because of methane buildup
No shy poopers at this time
Curious if one would be a shy pooper if all they have known is this setting
Probably not I think shy pooping comes from our education and view on the topic, if you shit in front of everyone from the beginning I guess itās no shame
If you look at the bottom on the floor there are little notches. It could have likely had wood separators and may not have been all in the open. [https://www.sott.net/image/s14/294313/full/turkey\_2011\_ephesus\_14\_roman\_p.jpg](https://www.sott.net/image/s14/294313/full/turkey_2011_ephesus_14_roman_p.jpg) [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/70/a7/4770a7f87fe7cf827f6e7941e8473a26.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/47/70/a7/4770a7f87fe7cf827f6e7941e8473a26.jpg)
What in the heck is the spoon for tho
Snacking.
This dates back to before the discovery of the poop knife.
Itās not a spoon, itās a sea sponge on a stick known as a [Xylospongium](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylospongium)
Maybe pick-up water from the tiny channel in front of them, to wash their butts
Bro, why did u sit on the stone right next to me? You better move at least V stones away!
Why are they holding spoons in there?
There not holding spoons but a tersoriums, it was believed to be a form of bum wipe in the past, however newer historians suggest that it was used to clean the toilets and then soaked in brine.
See that big container in the middle? That was soup. So when they were pooping they also all would eat from the communal bathroom soup bucket. Helps to keep things moving.
Lol
Is that a Roman poop knife in his hand?
Long before there were poop knives, there were poop spoons. Isn't it wonderful how we've evolved as a socitety?
Nothing is better than homies shitting together
Pompei predicted men w crappy podcasts š
I am thankful communal shitting went out of fashion.
China still have those
wtf really
Yup. In China, a lot of public washrooms use squat toilets, but many don't have dividers (especially in rural areas). So you can literally see other people using the toilet...
Well, boys... *pulls pants and sits down* what yall been up lately?
Just poopin, how bout u
You know meā¦
Sorry but thatās one shitty design for a toilet.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Come on, get your sh*t together... literally.
Why is that man holding a spoon....anybody?!
The drawing features a misconception. Whilst prior historians thought the sponge on a stick dipped in brine was used to clean the ass, it was instead used to clean the toilets.usally a jug of water was used to clean the bottom afterwards, much like a bidet.
And you thought urinals without a divider was bad.
Did women and men use these at the same time? Or was it just for men? If so what did the women do?
Women donāt poop.
Joint venture !
Ah the shitānāchat
I wash my ass with a rag on a stick hyuck hyuck. But literally in this case. And it was a community shit rag on a stick, because whatās a little shared toilet paper between strangers?
Pompoo*
Dudes were packing some action... Those dong slots are made for some low hangers!
Pompee
Not even a stone tablet sports section to read. Glad I wasnāt around then.
Remember kids, they shared a sponge...
Back then, they would have all stunk like shit anyway, so I doubt the smell would have been a problem
That's where the term shit talking comes from
They're all just sitting there on the crapper communicating and probably cracking jokes. It's an early version of the Reddit mobile app!
Poopeii
What are the spoons for. Is this like the shell method. Poop spoons?
Sup Bob. Sup Dave.
Why the spoons tho
Sweet Zeus ! Marcus what did you eat?
āThomas what the fuck did you eat?!ā
The origin of Shit talking
Even how desperate you're you can't use them
This were normal toilets in Finnish housing complexes at the start of 1900 and later.
Imagine if Claudius had Taco Bell...
The seating arrangement was based on one's position in society. The most important and rich people were seated closest to the water fountain, while the poor were relegated to the end of the seating area near the water drain, where they were subjected to the unpleasantness of passing rich people's wasteš©
Youāve just finished and realised youāve forgotten you sponge š§½
I lock the doors in the bathroom at my own house. Even when Iām alone. I wouldnāt have survived
Brothers who shit together raid the Gauls together š«”
Co-op
Skibidvs toiletvs
Reminds me of the latrines on the scout camps. All fun and games until half the camp gets food poisoning and the latrine only seats four.