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 singular number, were the public baths. But this accuracy of diction is neglected by many of the subsequent writers, and particularly by the poets, amongst whom "balnea" is not uncommonly used in the plural number to signify the public baths, since the word "balneae" could not be introduced in a hexameter verse. Pliny also, in the same sentence, makes use of the neuter plural "balnea" for public, and of "balneum" for a private bath. "Thermae" (Greek: , "Thermai", "hot springs, hot baths", from the Greek adjective "thermos", "hot") meant properly warm springs, or baths of warm water; but came to