THE DOMUS
The Roman domus was a house for mainly the upper classes. They were often very elaborate and decorated. Above is an image of the typical domus. The porch outside the domus was called the vestibulum, and this was entered straight from the street. This is number one on the image. After the vestibulum, the lanua, two large double doors stood, keeping the house private and impressing any passers-by. A passage, the fauces, (meaning throat in Latin) was a passage way. The first led from the vestibulum into the first room, the atrium. This is number two and three on the image. At the front of the building, there are taberna: shops that the homeowners run to make money. These can be entered right from the street and are number four on the image. Number five is the atrium: the main greeting and reception room in the house. Here the family would greet guests, and would also keep the family safe and possibly a couch and table. Number six is above the atrium in the ceiling, a hole in the roof, called the compluvium. This let rain water into the impluvium (number seven), a shallow basin that allowed water to be carried around the house and be used. Number eight on the image is the tablinium, the main room in the house. The tablinium was used as a living room for the family, and an office where business and papers were organised, and also where guest were sometimes entertained. Number nine on the image is the triclinium, which was the dining room. In the triclinium there was a table on which the meal was placed and diners reclined on the three surrounding couches while eating. Number ten on the image is the alae. These were open recesses in the wall which held sculptures of ancestors. This gives an insight into the beliefs of the ancient Romans and how they held their ancestors in high esteem. The cubiculum (number eleven) were bedrooms located along the sides of the atrium, separated by a curtain. The furnishings in cubiculums were very scattered. The culina (number twelve) was the kitchen. These were only used by the wealthy. Number thirteen on the image is the posticulum, the side door leading into an alley which connects to the street. The peristylium (number fourteen) was a colonnaded courtyard. Columns surrounded a lavish garden complete with a fountain and pool (piscina, number fifteen). Lastly number sixteen on the image is the exedra. This was a lounge often used as a summer dining room. The typical domus also included oecus on either side of the exedra, which were the guest rooms.
The layout and decoration of the domus has shown that Romans enjoyed having guests and displaying their wealth. The domus was arranged so that when the doors of the house were open, the guest had visibility almost right to the end of the other house. The large number of entertaining spaces including the tablinium, atrium, tricliunium, peristylium and exedra supports the idea that the Roman culture was very social.
The layout and decoration of the domus has shown that Romans enjoyed having guests and displaying their wealth. The domus was arranged so that when the doors of the house were open, the guest had visibility almost right to the end of the other house. The large number of entertaining spaces including the tablinium, atrium, tricliunium, peristylium and exedra supports the idea that the Roman culture was very social.
SIGNIFICANCE
The knowledge we have today of the typical ancient Roman domus is very significant in the full understanding of Roman life. From this we realise that the owners of a domus were wealthy people who often liked to display their wealth. The purpose of the majority of the house was to impress and entertain guests, with the elaborate peristylium and reclining couches to eat from. It is evident that the Romans would have been very social people as they had many guest rooms and spaces built purely for their impressiveness and elaborateness. From the domus we know that families separated their private life from their social life as the family's living spaces were often along the side of the domus, in a private area of the house. The preservation of the domus through the Mount Vesuvius eruption was vital to the understanding we have today of everyday life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The domus offers a behind the scenes view of the reality of Roman life, behind the elaborate temples, market places and battles.