A ROMAN HOME
Exploring the look, layout, and life of a Pompeian house
Fly-through of the House of the Tragic Poet
Enter a Roman Home
The streets of Pompeii in the first century CE could be lively thoroughfares, sometimes crowded with people from all walks of life. In this medium-sized Roman city, residential buildings stood side-by-side with workshops, food stalls, shops, and shrines. Embedded within this environment of urban activity were elite Pompeian homes where one could leave behind the unpredictable streets and step into carefully crafted spaces embellished with wall paintings, sculpture, furniture, mosaics, and colonnaded gardens.
A view of a street in Pompeii with Vesuvius visible in the background. Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
What Goes Where and Who Goes There
While Roman homes were diverse in their size and layout, many followed a similar general arrangement. Since the upper stories of these buildings have collapsed, and walls have been damaged or destroyed over the centuries, archaeologists have been able to reconstruct approximate ground floor plans from the surviving ruins and foundations. Many typical homes are described as “atrium-style,” with spaces organized along a central axis: a front door led into a main hall (atrium) that opened onto the sky and let in light and air. This was the most public part of the Roman home—on view to all who entered and perhaps even glimpsed from the street—and it often included an altar to the household gods and ancestors. Beyond the atrium, one sometimes encountered a reception space, often followed by a garden. Smaller, multipurpose rooms called cubicula were usually located off the main axis, as were dining rooms (triclinia) and kitchen spaces. Even with an open atrium and an interior garden, Roman houses typically were small and probably quite dark, with few exterior windows. Wall paintings and other furnishings contributed significantly to the visual opulence of these architecturally modest structures.
Hover over diagram for more information.
Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domus#/media/File:Domusitalica.svg
A typical Roman house accommodated a broad range of activities and people, and many rooms served several purposes; while a space today might be identified as a “bedroom” or “study,” we should not view these labels too literally. Roman houses were home to multigenerational family units that included servants and enslaved people who helped administer the household. Different guests would have had varying levels of access, and some areas of the house were more private than others. More than a place to sleep, eat, and raise a family, Pompeian villas were sites of entertainment and business between peers, as well as spaces of worship where gods were venerated, and the layout and décor frequently reflects their dynamic functions.
Inside the Painting: A Banquet
Banquet scene with inscribed words, 1st century CE, fresco, House of the Triclinium, dining room r, east wall, central section, Pompeii, H. 77.5 cm; W. 77.6 cm, National Archaeological Museum of Naples: MANN 120029. Image © Photographic Archive, National Archaeological Museum of Naples
Inside the Painting: A Banquet
Banquet scene with inscribed words, 1st century CE, fresco, House of the Triclinium, dining room r, east wall, central section, Pompeii, H. 77.5 cm; W. 77.6 cm, National Archaeological Museum of Naples: MANN 120029. Image © Photographic Archive, National Archaeological Museum of Naples
Inside the Painting:
A Banquet
Banquet scene with inscribed words, 1st century CE, fresco, House of the Triclinium, dining room r, east wall, central section, Pompeii, H. 77.5 cm; W. 77.6 cm, National Archaeological Museum of Naples: MANN 120029.
Image © Photographic Archive, National Archaeological Museum of Naples
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