Roman House Flashcards
What is a vestibulum?
Open courtyard between the street and the door to the house
This area serves as a transition space from public to private.
Define östium/ianua.
Door or doorway; doors had one huge cylindrical hinge
This term highlights the architectural elements of Roman homes.
What are fauces?
Passage or entrance to the atrium
This area connects the outside with the main living space.
What is an atrium?
Main room or center of the house
The atrium is a crucial social and living space in Roman architecture.
What is an impluvium?
Large basin for collecting rainwater that fell from the compluvium
The compluvium is a hole in the roof that allows light to pass through.
What is a tablinum?
Master’s study; separated from atrium by curtains and the peristylum by folding doors
This space is dedicated to the master’s work and privacy.
What is an andron?
Passage between the atrium and the peristylum; avoids the tablinum
This design ensures privacy for the master.
Define peristylium.
Large open courtyard surrounded by columns
This area often serves as a garden or additional living space.
What is a taberna?
Shop where the household sold goods
These shops were often part of the household and served the local community.
What is a cubiculum diurnum?
Bedroom for midday siesta
This reflects the Roman practice of resting during the hottest part of the day.
What is a cubiculum nocturnum or dormitorium?
Small bedroom or sleeping quarter
This space is typically used for night-time rest.
What does ala mean in Roman architecture?
“Wing”; had no door between it and the atrium
This space often contained imagines, or wax busts of the family’s ancestors.
What is a latrina?
Bathroom; always next to culina
The proximity to the kitchen emphasizes practical design in Roman homes.
What is a culina?
Kitchen; place for slaves to cook, always on wing of peristylum on the side of the andron
This reflects the social hierarchy and organization of space in Roman houses.
What is a triclinium?
Dining room with three couches; customary to have several for the change of seasons
This space is designed for social gatherings and meals.
What is an exedra?
A large room on the side of the peristylum opposite the atrium that contained permanent seats for lectures.
What are oeci?
Extra rooms used as halls, saloons, parlors, drawing rooms, banquet halls, or reception rooms.
What are diaetae?
Outdoor rooms for relaxation.
What is a solarium?
A room for sun bathing.
What is a sacrarium?
A room or private chapel with a shrine to the gods for worship.
What is a hortus?
A garden.
What is a xystus?
A formal elaborate garden.
What are cellae servorum?
Slave quarters (usually on the wings of the peristylum).
What is a limen?
A threshold.
What is a maenianum?
An extension of story over another - a balcony.
What are pondera?
Stepping stones from the street to the house.
What is a Tuscanicum atrium?
An atrium with a roof formed by two pairs of beams crossing each other at right angles to form a square hole (compluvium) with no columns.
What is a tetrastylon atrium?
An atrium where beams of the roof were supported by four pillars or columns at each angle.
What is a Corinthium atrium?
An atrium where beams of the roof were supported by more than four columns.
What is a displuvinatum atrium?
An atrium with a roof sloped outward to gutters for catching rain water but still had a compluvium.
What is a testudinätum atrium?
An atrium with no impluvium or compluvium, probably used windows in the alae.
What is an ianua?
A door.
What is an ostium?
A front door.
What is a ianuarius/ostiarius?
A doorkeeper.
What are forēs?
Double doors.
What is the term for a back or side door?
posticum
What does ‘fax, facis, f.’ refer to?
torch of inflammable wood and oil kept near the door
What are ‘pessuli’?
bolts
What are ‘serae’ used for?
bars for fastening doors
What is the Latin term for couch or bed?
lectus/torus
What is a ‘fulcrum’ in the context of furniture?
bed post - detachable head or elbow rest
What is a ‘lectus adversus’?
marriage couch in atrium opposite the ostium
What does ‘pulvinus’ mean?
pillow or cushion
What is the function of a ‘scamnum’?
foot stool used to reach the bed
What is a ‘sedile’?
seat with four legs and no back
What is a ‘sella’?
stool for one person
What is the meaning of ‘subsellium’?
sella for more than one person (bench)
What is a ‘sella curulis’?
“curule seat” with curved legs of ivory that could be folded up
What does ‘solium’ refer to?
up-right, high-backed chair with solid arms
What is the meaning of ‘cathedra’?
chair with a curved back and no arms
What distinguishes a ‘cathedra supina’?
chair with no arms and a back that was slanted at a comfortable angle
What is the Latin term for table?
mensa
What is a monopödium?
A small table with one leg
This type of table is characterized by its single-leg structure.
Define abacus in the context of Roman furniture.
A rectangular table with a raised rim for holding plates and dishes
The raised rim helps to prevent items from sliding off.
What is a mensa delphica?
A table with three legs
This design provides stability on uneven surfaces.
What does sigma refer to?
A semicircular dining couch
This type of furniture was common in Roman dining settings.
What is a lucerna?
A Roman lamp that used oil
The term ‘lampas’ refers to the Greek equivalent.
What is a candelabrum?
Used to hold several lucernae
Originally meant for ‘candelae’ or candles.
What is a lychnus?
A torch or lamp that usually hung from the ceiling
This type of lighting was common in ancient Roman homes.
Define föculus.
A large metal stove that held coal
It had large handles for carrying from room to room for warmth.
What is an armarium?
A cabinet or cupboard used as a closet
This piece of furniture was essential for storage.
What does arca refer to?
A strongbox or chest kept in the tablinum
Typically used for storing valuables.
What is a hörologium?
A clock
This device was used to keep track of time.
What is a solärium?
A sundial brought from Greece in 268 BC
An early device for measuring time based on sunlight.
What is a gnomon?
The staff on the sundial
It casts a shadow to indicate the time.
Define clepsydra.
A water clock
It allowed water to pass through at a certain rate to tell time.
What are laterēs crudi?
Unburned bricks used for walls
These bricks were common in ancient construction.
What is opus quadratum?
Use of large dressed stone laid out in horizontal rectangular courses
This technique is still used in modern wall construction.
What is opus africanum?
Use of massive horizontal and vertical dressed blocks of smaller blocks
This construction method was notable in Roman architecture.
What does opus caementicium refer to?
Use of concrete mostly in Classical times
It was a significant advancement in building materials.
Define lapis Putedanus.
Volcanic ash or lime used to make concrete
It was a critical ingredient in Roman concrete.
What type of bricks are laterēs cocti?
Triangular burnt bricks
These bricks accompanied cement walls and formed the core of constructions.
What is opus testaecum?
Use of a concrete core wall with brick or tile facing
This technique provided both strength and aesthetic quality to walls.
What does opus reticulatum refer to?
Net-like work using bricks of equal shape and size
Opus reticulatum is a Roman building technique characterized by a reticulated pattern of bricks.
Define opus vittatum.
Use of long and short masonry blocks on walls
Opus vittatum is a method of wall construction using alternating lengths of masonry.
What is opus vermiculatum?
Mosaic on the interior of walls
This technique involves intricate designs created with small pieces of colored materials.
What are tesserae?
Pieces of glass used in a mosaic
Tesserae are often used to create decorative patterns in mosaics.
What does fenestra mean?
Window or hole in the wall
Fenestra refers to any opening that allows light and air into a structure.
What are iunctae?
Closed shutters over tiny windows
Iunctae serve to cover and protect small openings in a building.
What are tegulae?
Subrectangular, slightly tapering tiles for roofing
Tegulae are traditional roofing tiles used in Roman architecture.
What are imbrices?
Tubes cut in half lengthways for covering flanges on the sides of the tegulae
Imbrices are used in conjunction with tegulae to create a waterproof roofing system.
What do lacus/lacunae refer to?
Decorated roof tiles
Lacus or lacunae are ornamental tiles that enhance the aesthetic of roofs.
What is pavimentum?
Floors of the poor made of stones, bricks, and tiles pounded together
Pavimentum represents the simplest form of flooring in Roman homes.
What was the purpose of a furnace with pipes under the floor?
To heat rooms with chimneys
This heating system is an early form of central heating used in Roman architecture.
What does opus sectile refer to?
Patterned floor surfacing
Opus sectile involves cutting and fitting pieces of colored stone to create decorative floor patterns.
What is opus signinum?
Waterproof lining for cisterns
This technique was used to ensure that water storage systems remained watertight.
Who are larēs et penates?
Household gods (lar: cupboard god; penates: gods of ancestors)
These deities were worshipped in the home for protection and blessings.
What is opus signinum?
Waterproof lining for cisterns
Opus signinum is a construction technique used in ancient Rome to create waterproof structures.
What do larēs et penates represent?
Household gods
Larēs are associated with the protection of the household, while penates are connected to the ancestors.
What are dining couches in the triclinium called?
Lecti tricliniares
These couches were used during Roman dining to recline while eating.
What does locus summus mean?
The highest place
This term refers to the most honored seating position in a dining setting.
What does locus medius mean?
The middle place
This term refers to the intermediate seating position in a dining setting.
What does locus imus mean?
The lowest place
This term refers to the least honored seating position in a dining setting.
What is locus consularis?
Place of honor for the consul
This refers to the locus imus of the lectus medius, indicating the consul’s respected position.
In a dining setting, where does the host sit in relation to the consul?
Next to the consul in the locus summus of the lectus imus
This arrangement signifies the importance of both the host and the consul during meals.
