Latin term to denote a Roman-style bathhouse (only used in its plural form). It came into use during the 1^st century AD as a way of demarcating a new type of bathhouse from the older balnea. There is still uncertainty about the exact difference between both terms. The most recurring hypotheses see thermae as the more luxurious bath buildings, often donated by the emperor, or as bathhouses run by civic authorities, benefiting from a free water supply. Parameters such as size and the presence of a palaestra do not seem to have been distinguishing features.