Ancient Roman Homes

• Roman Insulae


  A building similar to a modern day apartment usually mad of wood and had 6 or 7 floors consisting of shops and apartments. They were usually owned by equites and rented ou to the plebs
• Ground floor of Roman Insulae

  A place to hold various shops such as bakeries, restaurants, food markets and clothes shops.
• First floor of Roman Insulae

  The entire first floor was used as an apartment for the wealthiest middle class citizens. It had multiple bedrooms, a kitchen and space for prayer. The rooms were decorated with curtains, pillows and rugs.
• Second floor of Roman Insulae

  The rooms were less luxurious, with smaller windows, lower ceilings and were poorly decorated. They had a small table and chairs for eating meals, a kitchen and a small bedroom.
• Third floor of Roman Insulae and above


  The poorest of plebeians lived on this floor. Hardly any windows and only candles to light made this floor dark. The small rooms were not well furnished or decorated with haystacks on the floor for sleeping.
• Domus


  The Roman domus was a large house were the wealthiest of Romans lived.
• Antica


  The front of the Roman domus
• Vestibulum


  Main entrance of the Roman Domus ( only seen in grandest of structures)
• Atrium


  Reception or living area of the Domus and was used an a place to receive guests or conduct business
• Cumpluvium


  Opening in the roof of the atrium of the Domus to collect rainwater
• Impluvium


  Beneath the cumpluvium in the atrium and was pool which carried rain water collected from the the cumpluvium. It had a cooling effect on the home
• Lararium

  A prayer room and shrine to the family gods
• Tablinum

  A study room just off the atrium for the father of the house
• Postica


  Back of the Roman domus
• Triclinium


  A dining room designed to host dinner parties and was elaborately decorated with paintings and complex designs. It has long couches to accommodate quests lying diagonally and eating
• Cubiculi

  A bedroom with a bed, bed-side table and decorations
• Culina


  A kitchen for slaves to cook food
• Peristylium


  Garden of the house where plants, flowers and herbs were grown. It was the main feature of the positica and was surrounded by rooms such as the culina, cubiculi and triclinium