Housing Flashcards
What is the name for a house of a wealthy Roman?
A Domus
What is the name for Roman flats for poorer Romans or Romans who would rent out flats?
Insulae
How many domus’s where in Rome?
2000
How many insulae where in Rome?
40,000
How many floors would a Domus have?
1 - 2
How many floors would a insulae have?
3-5 sometimes even 7
What where dangers of an insulae?
Collapsing and setting on fire
What where negative things about an insulae?
Germ ridden, disease ridden, little sunlight, communal toilets, lack of privacy and lack of facilites
What where positive things about an insulae?
Central location, lots of shops, available for rich and poor and water/toilet availability
What where features of the Insula of Ostia?
It had a central roofless courtyard allowing light and water access, number of shops, shared toilets, aqua storage system and internal stairs
What was the Ianua?
The entrance to the house
What was the atrium?
Living room
The open central court from which enclosed rooms led off
What was the peristylium?
The garden
What was the triclinium?
The dining room
What was the culvina?
The kitchen
What was the cubiclum?
The bedroom
What was the tablium?
The paterfamilias’s office
What was the laraium?
The prayer room/ancestor shrine
What was the inpluvium?
The square basin in the centre of the atrium of an ancient Roman house, which received rainwater from an opening in the roof
What was the conpluvium?
The hole in the roof which allowed water into the inpluvium
What where features of general domus’s?
art, mosaic, sculptures, privacy good hygiene, shops and good facilities, spaces for business meetings.
What where features of the House of the Wooden partition in Herculaneum?
Black, red and yellow atrium, benches outside
What where features of the House of Menander?
Big space, baths, 2 houses put together, huge triclinium and mosaic in the atrium
What where features of the House of Octavius Quartio?
Huge gardens with canals, bridges and outdoor eating/entertainment area and an outside temple/laraium
