Who Made the First Hypocaust?

After the Western Roman Empire's demise, central heating in homes in Western Europe did not exist until the 20th century. Historians have tried to build hypocausts using the Romans' materials and techniques and have found it very difficult to build walls that did not leak. Sergius Orata invented the hypocaust.

Why was hypocaust created?

Its purpose was to evenly heat the room in the most efficient way possible. A hypocaust was composed of a raised floor (typically about two feet), supported by columns or pedestals of stone every few feet, with the space below left open.

Where was the hypocaust system invented?

The word derives from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning "under" and caust-, meaning "burnt" (as in caustic). The earliest reference to such a system suggests that the temple of Ephesus in 350 BC was heated in this manner, although Vitruvius attributes its invention to Sergius Orata in c. 80 BC.