Public baths constituted a meeting place and a place of entertainment, and soon became an important public institution.  These structures contained rest rooms, exercise rooms, gardens, libraries and museums.  Thermal baths came into being as public buildings where, in principle, there did not exist any formal prohibition barring men and women from bathing together.  Gradually society began to draw distinctions between balneae (public baths) and balnea (private baths).  Wealthier families had a hot tub at home, yet many of them preferred to continue visiting public baths in order to enjoy massages by experts, and perfume themselves with balsam imported from the ends of the Empire.

Wherever the Romans colonised, which was a considerable part of Europe and Asia Minor, they built their marvellous public baths and although they built comparatively few private baths in towns - because of the adequate public amenities - they certainly built a number of private baths with complete plumbing systems in the home country.

Under Roman rule, the Jewish community in ancient Israel during the Second Temple Period gradually adopted some of the tendencies of the Empire until each community established its own bath.  Culture differences necessitated that Jews, Bedouins and Pagans accessed the installation on different days.

The steam bath or temazcalli, also was found in pre-Columbian culture and was a feature in the majority of Mesoamerican cities.