Roman Houses

Affordable Housing “Insulae”: apartments that took up a city block Often 3-4 stories Bad construction could lead to collapse and fire Usually had a shared courtyard, sometimes running water The plebs (commoners) and equites (middle class) often lived in insulae

Insulae, continued Insulae ranged in price and apartment size Usually utilized public latrines Cooking was discouraged; most bought ready- made food from a local thermopolium.

Toilets! Don’t forget your sponge-on- a-stick!!!

Thermopolium (fast-food shop)

Domus Wealthy city home: domus Wealthy country home was called a villa Small country house: casa Homes for patricians and senatorial class citizens (upper class folks) Best-preserved examples are in Pompeii and Herculaneum

Shops (tabernae) Shops opened to the street---paid rent to the homeowners.

Vestibulum Private Entryway

Culina: Kitchen (only in wealthy homes!)

Atrium: an open, central courtyard, often used as a “living room” or reception area

Bibliotheca Library Some homes had 2 libraries: one for Latin books and one for Greek books

Compluvium and Impluvium Rain comes through the compluvium and is stored in the impluvium.

Tablinum: the main office/study, usually behind the atrium

Tablinum cont’d

Peristylium: a garden (hortus) surrounded by a columned porch; a patio

Triclinium: Dining room

Cubiculum: small bedroom

Other Rooms… Some large homes had their own private bath suites, or balneum: warm bath, hot bath, cold bath (most people used the wonderful public baths, balneae) Toilet: latrina (like our word “latrine”)

Domus Mea! Draw or sketch your house and label the rooms. By labeling a floor plan you already know, you’ll learn the Latin names for the rooms more quickly!