Thermae thieves and pickpockets were known to frequent the baths. The changing room was known as the "apodyterium" (from Greek "apodyterion" from "apoduein" "to take off"). In many ways, baths were the ancient Roman equivalent of community centres. Because the bathing process took so long, conversation was necessary. Many Romans would use the baths as a place to invite their friends to dinner parties, and many politicians would go to the baths to convince fellow Romans to join their causes. The thermae had many attributes in addition to the baths. There were libraries, rooms for poetry readings, and places to buy
Thermae Basilicae Thermae Basilicae Thermae Basilicae was a town in the Roman province of Cappadocia Prima. Accordingly, its bishopric, which is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees, was a suffragan of Caesarea in Cappadocia, the capital of the province. The town is mentioned as Therma by Hierocles (Synecdemus, 699, 2) and is quite probably to be identified with Aquae Sarvenae, which the Tabula Peutingeriana places on the road between Tavium and Caesarea, and with Sarvena, a city described on an inscription and by Ptolemy (V, 6, 12). This would be today Terzili Hammam, a village about 60 miles north