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The Roman House or Domus


Faustus

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We usually call the roman house the

Edited by Faustus
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With no intention of hijacking this great thread, I thought that I might add pictures to show how each part Faustus discussed would have looked.

 

But first:

 

In this domus the cubulum (bedroom) could be any of the small cubicles around the atrium space or the peristylyum, all without windows. There would likely be ceramic mosaic murals on the walls depicting pleasant outside scenes.

 

I would not agree. The would have frescoes in bedrooms not mosaics on the walls. Mosaics were reserved for floors and water installations in the roman world.

 

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The compluvium.

 

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The atrium and impluvium. Notice the cistern right behind the impluvium.

 

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The peristylum.

 

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The hortus.

 

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The outer closed walls.

 

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Notice how remarkably closely looking the facing is on the two walls. This picture was taken in Lund, Sweden only days ago.

 

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The entrance, vestibulum and fauces.

 

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The cubulum (bedroom).

 

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The triclinium.

 

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A shop.

Edited by Klingan
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My apologies for the size of the pictures. I want them to be available in a decent resolution. (Any one interested in high res versions can pm me.)

 

The approximated size of all the pictures are between 4.5 and 5 Mb.

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In peripheral provinces such as Britain, one also encounters completely detached small houses almost resembling bungalows. They were quite long, and presented the narrow end to the street. It is thought that most of them were stone/brick up to about shoulder height, then completed in timber and rendered.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?autoco...si&img=2394

The peristyle house was also common in Britain - minus the water catching facilities. The Atrium was still there, but completely roofed. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Insulae were only present in the very largest Italian cities, where space was precious.

 

In England, Near where I live, there is a school (Westgate, Morecambe) which is built as a square round a central courtyard, and from the outside looks very Roman indeed - although I doubt that the courtyard is collonaded. Again, a Mental Health unit I once worked in was built in similar style - again, minus columns. I have not come across any private houses built in the peristyle method, I would think that the restriction and price on land (certainly in Britain) would make this very difficult indeed unless one is very rich. Also, the effect would be largely cosmetic, hypocausts etc being less efficient and more costly to run than modern central heating. In the event of a big lottery win, it would be a GREAT project, though!

Edited by Northern Neil
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Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Insulae were only present in the very largest Italian cities, where space was precious.

 

Sounds like a logical assumption. However I would believe that they spread at least to the most romanized provinces. Say modern Croatia, France and Spain. Possibly some of the very large near-eastern cities too.

Edited by Klingan
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An excellent essay, Faustus! With fine pictorial contributions from Klingan. And, Northern Neil, you know I adore your miniature Roman models. Thanks for posting that link of yours.

 

I think it should be added that the Roman domus also served as the family's center of worship, in that a special chapel area was dedicated for the display of small images of the family lares -- guardians of the home. The miniature temple to the family lares (mounted on a table or enclosed within a cupboard, with a small brazier for burning incense) in earlier times would have been in the atrium, but afterwards (at least by the 2nd century CE) it was to be found in its own niche just off the peristylium.

 

-- Nephele

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NN do you intend to put your models together city style? It would be a great sight!

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NN do you intend to put your models together city style? It would be a great sight!

Ultimately yes - I keep needing to alter some of them though as I learn more. For instance, Faustus' original essay on this thread has made me re-think how to build doorways, given that the vestibule to a Domus appears to be open, and the door actually some way inside.

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NN do you intend to put your models together city style? It would be a great sight!

Ultimately yes - I keep needing to alter some of them though as I learn more. For instance, Faustus' original essay on this thread has made me re-think how to build doorways, given that the vestibule to a Domus appears to be open, and the door actually some way inside.

 

I must admit that some houses (Not all) give a certain feeling of that the door should be about one meter in. Take the Cave Canem as an example. What good would it have done behind a closed door?

 

At the same time, I'm not entirely convinced.

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I must admit that some houses (Not all) give a certain feeling of that the door should be about one meter in. Take the Cave Canem as an example. What good would it have done behind a closed door?

 

At the same time, I'm not entirely convinced.

Salve Amica, Amici

Edited by Faustus
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I'm thinking of the architecture of the home in southern Europe and in many places in Latin America. Just like the Roman house layout, the homes there turn their backs to the street. Behind private walls you find gardens and places for the family to gather. The idea of a large picture window and wide open space between homes, features in many US homes since the 1950's, seems like the antithesis of the Roman/Mediterranean/Latin American home.

 

P.S.

 

One of my Latin professors compared Roman household furnishings to "US patio furniture," no stuffed sofas or cushioned chairs, all metal.

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