§374. Hours Opened.--The bath was regularly taken between the _merīdiātiō_ and _cēna_, the hour varying, therefore, within narrow limits in different seasons and for different classes (§310). In general it may be said to have been taken about the eighth hour, and at this hour all the _conductōrēs_ were bound by their contracts to have the baths open and all things in readiness. As a matter of fact many people preferred to bathe before the _prandium_ (§302), and some at least of the baths in the larger places must have been open then. All were regularly kept open until sunset, but in the smaller towns, where public baths were fewer, it is probable that they were kept open later; at least the lamps found in large numbers in the Pompeian baths seem to point at evening hours. It may be taken for granted that the managers would keep the doors open as long as was profitable for them. §375. Accommodations for Women.--Women of respectability bathed in the public baths, as they bathe in public places now, but with women only, enjoying the opportunity to meet their friends as much as did the men. In the large cities there were separate baths devoted to their exclusive use. In the larger towns separate rooms were set apart for them in the baths intended generally for men. Such a combination is shown in the next paragraph and the arrangement has been explained in §368. In the very small places the bath was opened to men and women at different hours. Late in the Empire we read of men and women bathing together, but this was true of women only who had no claim to respectability at all. [Illustration: FIGURE 175. THERMAE AT POMPEII] §376. Thermae.--In Fig. 175 is shown a plan of the so-called Stabian baths at Pompeii, which gives a correct idea of the smaller _thermae_ and serves at the same time to illustrate the combination of baths for men and women under the same roof. In the plan the unnumbered rooms opening upon the surrounding streets were used for shops and stores independent of the baths, those opening within were for the use of the attendants or for purposes that can not now be determined. The main entrance (_1_), on the south, opened upon the _palaestra_ (_2_), surrounded on three sides by colonnades and on the west by a bowling alley (_3_), where large stone balls were found. Behind the bowling alley was the _piscīna_ (_6_) open to the sun, with a room on either side (_5_, _7_) for douche baths and a _dēstrictārium_ (_4_) for the use of the athletes. There were two side entrances (_8_, _11_) at the northwest, with the porter's room (_12_) and manager's office (_10_) within convenient reach. The room (_9_) at the head of the bowling alley was for the use of the players and may be compared with the similar room for the use of the gladiators marked _9_ in Fig. 156 (§350). Behind the office was the _latrīna_ (_14_).