The Forum Baths are located behind the Temple of Jupiter and date back to the years immediately after the founding of the colony of veterans by General Silla (80 BC). Women's and men's quarters had separate entrances. The man's section presents an apodyterium (dressing room), used also as a tepidarium (for medium temperature baths), frigidarium (for cold baths) and calidarium (for hot baths).
Like many buildings in Pompeii, the baths were heavily damaged during the earthquake of 62 AD. The current state mainly derives from the results of the subsequent restoration works. Significant attention and effort was devoted to the decoration of the rooms, such as the niches for storing clothes and objects for the bathroom decorated with male figures in terracotta (next page) and the vault with elaborate stucco in relief of the apodyterium-tepidarium.
The women's quarters, which is smaller, was being renovated at the time of the eruption. More than 500 lamps found in the entrance of the men's quarters were used for lighting during the evening openings. Date of excavation: 1823-1824.