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slash subscribe. Hello and welcome to this latest episode of the ancients where we're going

back into the wonderful world of Roman infrastructure. We've done aqueducts, we've done roads, where we're going back into the wonderful world of Roman infrastructure.

We've done aqueducts, we've done roads, now we're doing toilets.

As per your request, you are asking us to do more on Roman infrastructure, and we are delivering.

Now the wonderful world of Roman toilets is quite a dirty subject, but also it's fascinating.

The sponge on the

stick story and so much more. Just what was it like to visit one of these Roman communal toilets?

You're about to find out with our wonderful guest, Dr Hannah Platts, from Roll Holloway University

of London. I really do hope you enjoy. Let's go.

...toilets. Less glamorous than the great roads, the beautiful bathhouses or grand aqueducts,

but vital Roman infrastructure nonetheless. Naturally. Latrines and toilets were all across the Roman Empire,

used by everyday citizens, senators, slaves and soldiers alike. But what do we actually know about

them? What was it like to go to a Roman communal toilet, the sights, the smells, the privacy,

or lack of? And how could they differ, depending on where you lived in the empire? Was the sponge

on a stick really a thing? So many questions

with so many awesome answers coming your way. This is the story of Roman toilets with our guest,

...