forica : FO ree ka

(Latin; pl. foricae: a public privy): Multi-seat Roman toilet found in public areas. A private, single-seat toilet was known as a latrina, pl. latrinae, (hence our word latrine). Early Roman foricae were little more than a wooden plank over a trench. Stone foricae were constructed over a sewer system and flushed with running water. The Romans cleaned themselves with a sea sponge on a stick (tersorium or xylospongium). The shared tersorium was rinsed in a bucket of water with vinegar or salt. More discerning visitors brought their own sponge. Although forica and latrina refer to different types of Roman toilets, the word, latrinae, and its modern equivalent, latrine, have evolved to refer to any large, public bathroom.