{"id":4698,"date":"2023-04-06T14:03:04","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T13:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=4698"},"modified":"2023-04-06T14:03:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T13:03:04","slug":"what-did-houses-in-ancient-rome-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/what-did-houses-in-ancient-rome-look-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What did houses in ancient rome look like?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Houses in ancient Rome were built of brick or stone and had a tiled roof. They were usually two stories high and had a courtyard in the center. The front door opened onto the street. There was usually a shop or workshop on the ground floor. The living quarters were upstairs. The rich had larger houses with more rooms. The poor had small houses with one or two rooms.<\/p>\n

There is no one answer to this question as ancient Roman houses varied greatly in both size and style. However, some features were fairly common among them, such as being built from brick or stone and having a central courtyard. Wealthier homes also tended to have colonnades, or rows of columns, lining the courtyard.<\/p>\n

What did the ancient Romans houses look like? <\/h2>\n

The Domus building was designed by the Romans with two main sections: the antica at the front, and the postica at the rear. Both had a large central courtyard area from where other rooms would lead. The central area of the antica was the atrium. It housed a shallow pool, open to the sky to gather rainwater.<\/p>\n

The wealthy lived in single family homes called domus of various sizes depending on how rich they were. The vast majority of the people living in Roman cities lived in cramped apartment buildings called insulae. Insulae were generally three to five stories high and housed from 30 to 50 people.<\/p>\n

What did poor Roman houses look like <\/h3>\n
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The poor Romans lived in insulae, which were basically apartment blocks that were grouped around a central courtyard. The ground floors were used by shops and businesses while the upper floors were rented as living space. These insulae were made of wood and mud brick and often collapsed or caught fire. As you can imagine, living conditions were quite poor for the lower class Romans.<\/p>\n

A domus was a typical Roman home. The word “domus” comes from the Latin word for “home” or “house”. A domus usually consisted of multiple rooms, indoor courtyards, gardens, and beautifully painted walls that were elaborately laid out. The vestibulum (entrance hall) led into a large central hall: the atrium, which was the focal point of the domus and contained a statue of or an altar to the household gods.<\/p>\n

Did the Romans have toilets in their houses? <\/h2>\n

Private toilets were found in Roman houses and apartments in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The Pompejanum in Germany is a good example of a reconstruction of a single latrine next to the culina (kitchen).<\/p>\n

Insulae were large multi-story apartment buildings that were common in Ancient Rome. They were normally five to seven stories high, with some even having nine stories. A typical insula was built around a courtyard, with buildings on three sides of the courtyard and a wall on the fourth side to prevent residents from intruders.<\/p>\n

What did Roman houses look like inside? <\/h2>\n
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There is some debate over whether the atrium was open to the elements or whether it was roofed over. However, it is generally agreed that the atrium was the central room of the house and that it was open to the sky. The atrium was decorated with paintings and sculptures and often had a fountain or other water feature. The atrium was the main room for entertaining guests and was where the family spent most of their time.<\/p>\n

The Roman bedroom appeares to have been a private space for an individual, with a bed and small windows. It is not clear if all dressing and grooming activities took place in the bedroom or not. In both societies, the bedroom was the main place for individuals to sleep.<\/p>\n

How did ancient Romans decorate their houses <\/h3>\n

One of the most well known features of the decoration of a Roman house is wall painting. However, the walls of Roman houses could also be decorated with marble revetment, thin panels of marble of various colors mortared to the wall.<\/p>\n

Oil lamps were a source of light used by all Romans. Artificial light was common throughout the Roman Empire. Oil lamps offered an alternative to candlelight. The most common material used was pottery, and had only one wick.