Housing in Pompeii
Analysis
Many of the houses found in Pompeii and Herculaneum had a similar design, though some could have more or less rooms, or grandeur depending on the wealth of the family that lived there. Many houses for example the one above the House of the Tragic Poet, the entrance was situated between two shops and easily identified by the door which would of seemed out of place as it was a large barrier of wood with metal fittings and bronze studs, this had no practical job[1] it was just for show to express to others how wealthy a family was. Once in the house it was divided into two- the common parts where guests could wander freely without invitation and the exclusive parts where guests had to be invited in. The exclusive parts included the cubicula, tricilina, and the bath suites and the common parts included the atria, vestibules, and peristyles. The common and exclusive parts were not a divide between public and private as most public business was taken care of in the cubicula and the tricilina. The interiors of the house were made for show as the walls were filled with paintings and the walls, floors and columns were covered with mosaics. The more elaborate the decor was the wealthier the family was. The rooms in the houses didn't serve only one purpose they were often used in two or more ways, for example some of the bedrooms had a couch like bed in it so it could be used as a bedroom in the night and a living room during the day. Privacy wasn't a major thing for the Romans, they didn't have doors to their rooms or bath suites instead they had curtains or screen doors. A good example of their lack of obsession with privacy can be seen from the toilets, which were partly screen off but usually without a door[2], and the public multi-seater toilets which also didn't have doors or dividers. The shops in the front of the house were sometimes owned by the family of the house or were let out in order to gain an income. Food shops doubled as a supply of food for those families that didn't have a kitchen or slaves to make and serve them food.
Conclusion
The eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant as it preserved the domus in the stated they were lived in. We are able to see the colour of the walls and even some parts of the garden were preserved. We also see the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the middle of a normal day nothing has been changed as the eruption and ash preserved the cities in a precise moment therefore no one from the modern world could have influenced what anything looked like. We see the Romans as they lived with little care for privacy but a larger obsession with showing their wealth. We see that a big part of Roman social life was to do with how wealthy they were. Their wealth was shown in every way possible from the size of their house to how extravagant their decor was. Because the house was preserved so well we are able to see what kind of materials was used by the Romans[3], for their furniture which were mainly wood and marble. We are also able to gain an insight to what they ate as there was still food in their kitchens.
[1]- The Fires of Vesuvius
[2]- The Fires of Vesuvius
[3]- website -vesuviusandpompeii
Many of the houses found in Pompeii and Herculaneum had a similar design, though some could have more or less rooms, or grandeur depending on the wealth of the family that lived there. Many houses for example the one above the House of the Tragic Poet, the entrance was situated between two shops and easily identified by the door which would of seemed out of place as it was a large barrier of wood with metal fittings and bronze studs, this had no practical job[1] it was just for show to express to others how wealthy a family was. Once in the house it was divided into two- the common parts where guests could wander freely without invitation and the exclusive parts where guests had to be invited in. The exclusive parts included the cubicula, tricilina, and the bath suites and the common parts included the atria, vestibules, and peristyles. The common and exclusive parts were not a divide between public and private as most public business was taken care of in the cubicula and the tricilina. The interiors of the house were made for show as the walls were filled with paintings and the walls, floors and columns were covered with mosaics. The more elaborate the decor was the wealthier the family was. The rooms in the houses didn't serve only one purpose they were often used in two or more ways, for example some of the bedrooms had a couch like bed in it so it could be used as a bedroom in the night and a living room during the day. Privacy wasn't a major thing for the Romans, they didn't have doors to their rooms or bath suites instead they had curtains or screen doors. A good example of their lack of obsession with privacy can be seen from the toilets, which were partly screen off but usually without a door[2], and the public multi-seater toilets which also didn't have doors or dividers. The shops in the front of the house were sometimes owned by the family of the house or were let out in order to gain an income. Food shops doubled as a supply of food for those families that didn't have a kitchen or slaves to make and serve them food.
Conclusion
The eruption of Mt Vesuvius was significant as it preserved the domus in the stated they were lived in. We are able to see the colour of the walls and even some parts of the garden were preserved. We also see the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the middle of a normal day nothing has been changed as the eruption and ash preserved the cities in a precise moment therefore no one from the modern world could have influenced what anything looked like. We see the Romans as they lived with little care for privacy but a larger obsession with showing their wealth. We see that a big part of Roman social life was to do with how wealthy they were. Their wealth was shown in every way possible from the size of their house to how extravagant their decor was. Because the house was preserved so well we are able to see what kind of materials was used by the Romans[3], for their furniture which were mainly wood and marble. We are also able to gain an insight to what they ate as there was still food in their kitchens.
[1]- The Fires of Vesuvius
[2]- The Fires of Vesuvius
[3]- website -vesuviusandpompeii