Toilets in Roman High-Rises
In second-century Rome, apartment dwellers dumped waste out their windows—or walked upstairs to a communal toilet perched on the top floor.
Unknown — "Table" (ca. 1775–80), public domain
Ancient Rome’s Skyscraper Problem
In second-century Rome, some people lived in apartment blocks up to six stories tall. If you wanted a toilet, you had to go all the way upstairs—or dump your pot out the window.
No Plumbing for the Poor
Most insulae had only basic plumbing on the ground floor. Upstairs, tenants used communal latrines or simply improvised, tossing waste outside. Roman street life meant dodging more than carts and stray dogs—after dark, you listened for falling chamber pots.
Ancient Rome’s insulae—multi-story apartment blocks—often lacked plumbing above the ground level. Archaeology in Ostia and Rome shows that upper floors sometimes featured shared latrines with chutes dropping waste straight onto the street below, or worse, nowhere at all. Residents would sometimes hurl chamber pots or toss contents out the window, making the street below a perilous place to walk after dark.
