Roman Housing

1. Roman Housing By: Spencer Braun

2. Introduction to Roman Housing • In ancient Rome, the extent of the house you lived in depended entirely on your wealth and your spot on the social ladder. • If you worked as or close to the highest power in Rome, the Caesar, you likely had a large house with many servants. I • If you were poorer, you probably lived in a small house or hut. • We live in a similar world today, where the size of your house indicates the size of your wallet. • Interestingly, many roman houses have similar rooms and design to homes today. • It is amazing how a such an old civilization has influence the design sense of many people today.

3. Roman Rooms • The first room in a roman house would be the Autrium, a windowless room which allowed rain to fall on the outside to be stored for drinking water. • The Tabinumwas similar to a den or study for the master of the house. • Bigger homes had a Peristylum, a large living room space. • A Culinaand a Triclinium acted as a kitchen and dining room, and were usually joined. • A Sacrariumwas where people would go for religious worship and contained a shrine. • An Oceiwas a large meant for entertaining guests and party guests.

4. Utilities • Roman houses also included utilities such as running water and heat that can be found in the modern day. • A large fire was kept burning under the house. • Vents placed in rooms connected to the underground furnace circulated warm air though out the home. • Heat was a privledge reserved for the wealthy in Roman culture. • Aqueducts, large stone canals and pipes raised dozens of feet above the ground provided water to public baths and homes in Rome. • In wealthy homes, the water flowed from the aqueduct right to the home. • Slightly smaller homes had slaves go and fetch buckets of water from the aqueducts to be brought to the home of their master.

5. Materials • The material roman homes were made of depended largely on the wealth of the builder and the availability of such resources. • In war times, wood homes were built to provide temporary shelter. • Some middle and lower class homes were covered in stucco. • The floor of a home was called the Pavimentumand was made of stone, tile, bricks and pottery pounded into the ground. • The largest homes were made of the most luxurious materials • Big homes had floors of marble with ornate tile designs

6. Conclusion • In conclusion our knowledge of Roman culture brings certain similarities in our own culture to light. By studying this we see how such an old civilization was so greatly advanced for it’s time. And that modern architects use the similar layout of these magnificent ancient homes.