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.