Transcript Roman Housing - Spencer E

By: Spencer Braun
Introduction to Roman Housing
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 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.
Roman Rooms
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 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 Tabinum was similar to a den or study for the master of the house.
 Bigger homes had a Peristylum, a large living room space.
 A Culina and a Triclinium acted as a kitchen and dining room, and
were usually joined.
 A Sacrarium was where people would go for religious worship and
contained a shrine.
 An Ocei was a large meant for entertaining guests and party guests.
Utilities
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 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.
Materials
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 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 Pavimentum and 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
Conclusion
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 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.