1. The Roman House
and You

2. A Roman house was not like a
modern-day house.

3. A Roman house did not have a front yard and came up right to the sidewalk.

4. There were very few windows because
large windows would have
made the house incredibly hot during
the summer and cold during the winter.

5. The front of a Roman house usually had
a front door (ianua) with two shops
(taberna) on both sides of it.
taberna
taberna
ianua

6. taberna
ianua

7. The Roman house was divided into two parts, each with a courtyard
surrounded by rooms.
Courtyard #2
Courtyard #1

8. Once through the ianua, one would proceed through the entry hallway
(fauces) to the first “courtyard”
– the atrium.

9. ATRIUM
This was the reception hall where the family received and welcomed guests. In the atrium were the impluvium and the lararium.

10. IMPLUVIUM This was a shallow rectangular pool which collected
rain water from a hole in the ceiling
of the atrium.
impluvium

11. LARARIUM To the right of the Impluvium was the lararium – the shrine
to the household gods.

12. impluvium
atrium
fauces
lararium

13. Around the atrium were the bedrooms
(cubiculum). The bedrooms did not
have doors, but rather were closed
off with a heavy curtain.

14. cubiculum

15. The first area of the house (atrium) was
separated from the second part by the
study (tablinum). Here, most important
business was conducted.

16. tablinum

17. The second courtyard area consisted of
open colonnade of pillars (peristylum)
surrounding the garden (hortus).

18. The peristylum and hortus area was
elaborately decorated and often families
would relax here with guests or on their own.

19. peristylum/
hortus

20. Surrounding the peristylum were
the slaves’ quarters
the kitchen (culina)
the bathroom (latrina)
the dining room (triclinium).

21. The kitchen (culina) and the bathroom
(latrina) were located next to each
other due to the need for running water.

22. culina
latrina

23. The last room of the Roman house was the dining room (triclinium) which means “three couches”.

24. triclinium

26. FINIS