Architecture of Roman Houses: Pompeii

Nicole Neumann Roman City Session 1 14 April 2010

Roman Architecture

• Influenced by the Greeks and the Etruscans• Highly advanced architectural design in

domestic quarters and hygiene • Piped water • Building materials included: – Brick, stone, marble (decorative purposes),

cement and concrete

Typical Pompeian House

• Sannitic with Roman modifications• Homes followed a similar basic floor plan – Entrance way– Atrium– Courtyard– Private and Service Quarters

• Homes got smaller during Roman times. Artwork and decorative features were added to compensate for space.

Atrium

•Tuscan style •Public area where visitors were taken too.•Decorated to impress guests and display wealth•Open area in roof directly under a basin for catching rainwater

Peristyle Courtyard

•Gardens lined w/ columns •Open area allows for air and light to come in and smoke to go out like the atrium. •Contained statues, figurines, fountains, ponds and shrines.

Courtyard: House of the Faun

Artwork

• The Romans expressed their wealth through display of artwork.

• Floors and walls were decorated w/ mosaics influenced by the Greeks and frescoes.

• Frescoes often depicted scenes from Greek Mythology with the Iliad as one of the most popular.

• Fountains, statues, figurines

Mosaics •Right: One of the most famous mosaics in Pompeii in the House of the Tragic Poet. Below the dog it says, “Beware of the Dog” in Latin. •Below: another ex:

Frescoes

Examples of frescoes in dining rooms.

Fountains in Courtyards