Domus Romana Latin I Culture Lesson

Types of Residences  Insula- Apartment complex. Could take up a city block, hence the relation to “island.”  Villa- House in the country. Usually very large, often attached to a farm.  Domus- City house. Could be one or two stories tall.

Rooms of the House  Tabernae- shops. Many houses used or rented out this space, which would face the street.  Vestibulum- Entryway. Today, houses have a similar part called a “vestibule.”  Atrium- first major room of the house. Originally the dining room, later just the entry room.

Parts of the Atrium  Impluvium- a pool in the center of the atrium, used to collect rain water. A drain leads to a basin underneath to hold the excess water.  Compluvium- a hole in the roof over the impluvium to allow in rain water.  Lararium- shrine to the lares (household gods). Also found in the alae.

Rooms of the House  Cubiculum- bedroom. Often in different parts of the house to separate males, females, and slaves.  Alae- wings or alcoves. Could house the lararium.  Tablinum- father’s study. Here he met with his clientes during the daily salutatio.

Rooms of the House  Triclinium- literally means “three couches.” Dining room of the house, often attached to the culina  Culina- kitchen. Usually in the rear of the house.  Peristylium- Garden with colonnaded walkway surrounding it. Often very elaborate.

Extra Touches  Bibliotecha- library  Balneum- small bath  Fountains and small ponds  Elaborate wall paintings, mosaics, statuary, art, and furniture  Extra dining space in peristylium  Indoor plumbing for bathroom

Scenes of the Atrium This famous mosaic of Alexander the Great vs. Darius of Persia graces the floor of the entrance to a house in Pompeii.

Scenes of the Atrium A rather ornate atrium, you can see the elaborate mosaic floor and some remnants of the frescoes (wall paintings). In the center is the impluvium, and you can see light coming in from the compluvium above. Note also the stairs on the right leading to a second floor.

Scenes of the Atrium This view from the entrance of the house looks through the atrium and the tablinum and into the peristylium in the background. This view highlights the hole of the compluvium, opening over a very shallow impluvium.

The Rest of the House Artists rendering of a cubiculum. Note the colorful, detailed fresco on the back wall and the ornate mosaic floor. Also, this window would have been one of very few in the house. Most light came in through the compluvium and the open- roofed peristylium.

The Rest of the House Two types of lararia. The left one is a small niche lararium, possibly set into a wall of the atrium. The larger one on the right is in the peristylium of the house, an uncommon place for it. Here the family, led by their father, would gather daily for prayer to the lar, an ancestral spirit.

The Rest of the House The tablinum, the father’s office and study, often opened onto the peristylium to let in sunlight. Here it connects the peristylium to the atrium, seen in the background with its distinctive impluvium in the floor. This tablinum has some fresco work and a small mosaic pattern in the floor.

The Rest of the House This triclinium has raised platforms where the dining couches would go; the table (mensa) would go in the open space in the middle. This also features a step fountain and basin in the back of the room.

The Rest of the House A model of a peristylium. Notice the walkway in the background surrounded by columns. Many peristylia were very elaborate in their vegetation, showing off rare plants from all parts of the Roman Empire. Often they also contained birdbaths, fountains, and multiple statues.

The Rest of the House An actual peristylium replanted with authentic vegetation