Most of the ancient names mentioned previously refer to the lavatory as a private place (the part - ano - apo). Despite that, all the remains of ancient Greek lavatories undoubtedly indicate simultaneous usage by more than one person. Even in residences where the inhabitants numbered at least five to ten people, there are lavatories with two to four defecation openings (i. e. in Figs. 4.2 And 4.4). In these cases it is not known if there was a simultaneous usage by residents of different sexes. At the public lavatories as well, there is no doubt that they were used by dozens of people, often more than fifty, a practice which expanded during the Roman era and survived in many Byzantine and medieval lavatories of the eastern Mediterranean, i. e. monasteries and castles as in Mytilene.
Lavatories can be classified according to the number of the defecation seats, which correspond to the number of users.
• The very small domestic lavatories used by two or three people of the house (i. e. in Figs. 4.2 And 4.4)
• Medium to large domestic lavatories with more than four defecation seats.
• Small public lavatories for at least four users (i. e. in the gymnasium of Minoa -Fig. 4.7-, and in the palestae on Delos - Fig. 4.16)
• Large public lavatories used by more than ten or twenty people, constructed mostly during the Roman period (Figs. 4.6,4.11, and 4.12).
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