Houses Flashcards
What were the windows like
Few, small and placed fairly high up. They were intended to let in enough light but to keep out the heat of the sun. If the windows had been large they would have made the rooms uncomfortably hit in summer and cold in winter
How many stories were the houses?
Most were one storey high but some had a second floor. Many had shops on either side of the main door
Where was the main entrance to the house
On the side facing the street. It consisted of a tall double door. A visitor would enter the door and walk down a short corridor which led into the main room
Main room =
Atrium
When was the atrium used
It was used to receive visitors and for important family occasions
Describe the atrium
It was large and high and contained little furniture. The roof sloped down slightly towards a large square opening in the middle. The light streamed in through the opening high overhead and below was the impluvium
What was the impluvium
A shallow rectangular pool, lined with marble, which collected rain water
What was the most striking thing about the atrium?
The sense of space. (High roof/central opening/large floor area/absense of furniture)
What did the furniture in the atrium include?
Bronze or marble table, a couch a strong-box in which the family valuables were stored. In the corner was a lararium. The floor was paved with either marble slabs or mosaics
What is the lararium?
A small shrine at which the family gods were worshipped
How were the walls of the atrium decorated?
They were decorated with brightly painted plaster (Pompeians were especially fond of red, orange and blue) on many of these panels there were scenes from well-known stories, especially Greek myths
Was there a garden at the front of the house?
No, the pavement came right up to the house
What were round the atrium?
The bedrooms, the study and the dining room. The entrances were usually a heavy curtain rather than a door
Where did the visitor go after the first area of the house
The tablinum (study) into the second part. This was the peristylium
What is the peristylium made of
A colonnade of pillars surrounding the hortus (garden) the colonnade was often elaborately decorated
What was around the outside of the colonnade
The summer dining room, kitchen, lavatory, slaves quarters and storage rooms. Some houses also had their own set if baths
How was the garden laid out?
It had flowers and shrubs in a careful plan. In the small fish-pond in the middle, a fountain threw up a jet of water and the marble statues of gods and heroes stood here and there.
What did people do in the peristylium
Members of the family enjoyed the sunshine or shade and they relaxed here or entertained their guests
What did the pompeians think about their houses?
They did not expect their houses to be restricted to family and close friends. The master conducted lots of his business and social life from the house. He would receive and do business with visitors in the atrium.
Where did the master of the house do business
He would do lots of business in the atrium, but if the visitors were important they would be invited into the tablinum. Very close business friends and high ranking individuals would relieve invitations to dine or relax in the peristylium with the famil
were the members of the family ever alone
No, they were always surrounded by slaves
How did most people live?
They lived in simpler homes. Eg, poorer shopkeepers had a room or two above their shop. In large cities, many people lived in blocks of flats several stories high
Columella: extracts from On Agriculture
“The living quarters should in turn be divided into winter and summer rooms”
