Housing Flashcards
What is the Domus?
Roman housing built for the rich, with many rooms. They often contained gardens and water features. They were overly extravagant.
What is the Insula?
Blocks of flats which lacked almost all useful amenities. They ranged from partially comfortable apartments to rat infested room
Where is the House of Faun?
In Pompeii
What century was the House of Faun built in?
2nd Century BC
Who is believed to own the House of Faun?
Saturninus Cassius
What is special about the House of Faun?
It is the largest house in Pompeii
What is important about the House of Faun’s atrium?
There are 2 atria:
1. A private tetrastyle atrium with 4 Corinthian columns supporting the roof
2. A public tuscan atrium with no columns supporting the roof
What century was the House of Menander built?
3rd Century BC
Where was the House of Menander built?
In Pompeii
Who is believed to have owned the House of Menander?
The Poppae family, one of Rome’s most affluent families
What is the style of the House of Menander?
Peristyle with Doric colonnade
What are 3 unique building features of the House of Menander?
- Domestic shrine for the respecting of the wax images of famous ancestors
- Private bath house
- Stable yard and agricultural unit
What were the House of Menander’s paintings of?
1.Nature scenes
2. A portrait of the Greek dramatist, Menander
3. scenes from the Trojan War depicted in the 4th style in the atrium and its alae.
When was the House of Sallust built?
4th Century BC
Where is the House of Sallust?
In Pompeii
Who is believed to have owned the house of Sallust?
Cassius Libanus, but it was named after Gaius Sallustius, after an election notice of his was found painted on the side of the house.
What is special about the House of Sallust?
- One of the oldest houses in Pompeii
- Was renovated in 2nd century BC
- Believed to have been converted into a tavern later in its life
When was the House of the Tragic poet built?
2nd Century BC
Where is the House of the Tragic poet?
In Pompeii
Name 2 interesting paintings are in the House of the Tragic Poet
- cave canem mosaic outside the entrance to the house
2.The wedding of Jupiter and Juno. In the atrium
When was the House of Vettii built?
Mid 1st Century AD
Where is the House of Vettii?
In Pompeii
Who did the House of Vettii belong to?
A Vettius Conviva and A Vettius Restutus; merchants and freedmen who lived and presumably made their wealth in/from Pompeii
What is an unusual choice in the construction of the House of Vettii?
It has no tablinum, which signifies that, although this was obviously an affluent household, there is an absence of social standing, or it’s a house focused on pleasure rather than business
Name 3 interesting paintings in the House of Vetti.
- Room covered with crudely painted erotic art
- Second triclinium (for use in summer) decorated with red panels and black friezes of cupids acting out various professions
When was the House of Loreius Tiburtinus/ Octavius Quartio built?
2nd Century BC
Where is the House of Loreius Tiburtinus/ Octavius Quartio?
In Pompeii
Who did the House of Loreius Tiburtinus/ Octavius Quartio belong to?
- There’s confusion here.
LT’s name is featured in electoral advertisements painted on the outside of the house, but a ring inscribed with OQ’s name was found inside the house.
What is a special building feature of the House of Loreius Tiburtinus/ Octavius Quartio?
Extensive gardens featuring two euripi (long watercourses) which were reminiscent of country estates
When was the House of the Mosaic Atrium built?
1st Century AD
Where was House of the Mosaic Atrium built?
In Herculaneum
Name 4 special aspects of the House of the Mosaic Atrium
- Monochrome geometric mosaics decorate the fauces and atrium
- It’s garden is the peristyle (rather than the atrium) acting as the central room
- An unusual adaption of the tablinum: converted into a hall with three naves, similar to a basilica with clerestory windows
- The house overlooks the Bay of Naples
Why did the House of the Mosaic Atrium’s floor buckle, and what did it reveal?
The floor buckled due to the weight of the ash and debris from the eruption revealed the lines and walls of an earlier house on this site
When was the House of the Stags built?
1st Century AD
Where is the House of the Stags?
In Herculaneum
Wha is different about the atrium in the House of the Stags?
atrium of little importance.
It is an atrium testudinatum (no compluvium)
What change can be seen in Architectural intent through the House of the Stags and the House of the Mosaic Atrium?
A de-emphasis of the atrium as the central room
When was the idea of the atrium and peristylium as central rooms abandoned?
1st century AD
Where is the House of Amor and Psyche?
In Ostia
When was the House of Amor and Psyche built?
325-350 AD
What is the difference between the old and newer wall styles of the House of Amor and Psyche?
- the earlier walls are in opus testaceum
-the later additions are in opus vittatum (alternating oblong tufa blocks with brick bands)
What is believed about the owner of the House of Amor and Psyche?
It is thought the owner of this house may have been linked to the neighbouring Temple of Hercules.
What was the main source of light in the House of Amor and Psyche?
The viridarium, separated from the central room by marble and granite columns and supporting arches made of brick and travertine
What was located at the edge of the viridarium in the House of Amor and Psyche?
The nymphaeum, an elaborate water feature dedicated to the semi-divine nymphs
Name 2 decorative aspects of the House of Amor and Psyche?
- Opus sectile mosaic
- Amor and Psyche statue
What was usually on the street level of insula?
Artisans’ workshops and commercial establishments
What were the water and sanitary facilities of insula?
- Pumping devices raise water to lower apartments; - Higher apartments had to use public water and sanitary facilities
What caused frequent collapses and serious fires of the insula?
Cheap construction and a limited water supply
What type of building is the Cassette-tipo
Insula
Where is the Cassette-tipo
In Ostia
When was the Cassette-tipo built?
Late 1st Century AD
How many storeys was the Cassette-tipo
Two
What material was used to build the Cassette-tipo?
Poor quality construction using tufa. The frontage was opus reticulatum
What was the area between apartments in the Cassette-tipo paved with?
Basalt
What features did the Cassette-tipo have/ not have?
It had few windows, no courtyard and no running water (residents collected their water from public fountains)
When was the House of Diana built?
150 AD (the Antonine Period)
Where is the House of Diana?
In Ostia
How many storeys is the House of Diana?
Three or four
What was in the House of Diana?
Shops with rooms above for shopkeepers’ living quarters
What material was the House of Diana built with?
Opus latericium
What were the water and sanitary facilities did the House of Diana have?
A cistern and auxiliary basins for water and a latrine for sanitation were provided for communal use
What was in the courtyard in the House of Diana?
A cistern, pool and terracotta relief of Diana
What were the two rooms at the back of the house of Diana converted to?
A Mithraeum
What architectural design increased interaction with the street in the House of Diana?
- Tight proximity to the street
- Open format of the tabernae stalls
What were the differences between the lower and higher apartments in the House of Diana?
- Lower floors were most desirable, rent was higher. They were more lavish: boasting heat and large floor plans
- Upper stories contained smaller units, were less technologically elaborate, and more affordable.
When where the Garden Houses built?
150 AD (the Antonine Period)
Where are the Garden houses?
In Ostia
What class of people were the Garden Houses for?
Upper class as the latest fashion
How many storeys is are the Garden Houses?
Three or four with a central corridor
What did the Garden Houses have/ not have?
- Running water to all floors
- No integrated shops
