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
