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Roman Villas: Housing of the rich
Roman villas were well built and large. There were many rooms throughout the structure used for various functions.
One of the main rooms was the atrium. The atrium was a large courtyard in the middle of the house. There was a large rectangular opening in the roof that let light and air in. Rain collected in a basin around the yard. The whole house was built around the atrium.
The kitchen was called a culina. Due to the fact that only slaves made food, the people that lived there rarely entered the kitchen. So the culina was small, dark and poorly ventilated. It was often smoky and dark. Shelves were built into the wall. The culina was sometimes far from the dining room because slaves made quick and easy work of carrying food to a meal.
The bedroom was called a Cubiculum nocturna or dormatoria. Bedrooms were small and sparsely furnished. They weren't as valued to the Romans as they are to our society. Bedrooms were usually at the far corners of the house to keep them cool during the summer. Sometimes they were placed in the western section of the villa to let morning sunlight into the room. People would use different rooms during the day to rest.
Amazing Architecture
Roman Architecture was pretty amazing. The Romans were skilled and clever builders. Rome borrowed ideas from Greeks and other civilizations . The Romans learned how to use the "arch", vaults, and domes. Arches are curved symmetrical structures. A Vault is an arch used to support a ceiling or roof. A dome is a vault in the shape of a half circle that is on a circular wall. Roman baths and other public buildings usually had great arched vaults. The Pantheon is famous for its huge domed ceiling.
The Romans also invented a new kind of stadium. The large structures would fit thousands of people. In the Colosseum, they built tunnels into the stadium so that people could easily find their seats. Today, football stadiums still have these.
Romans have influenced and inspired many architects throughout the years. In medieval times, architects sometimes tried to recreate Roman designs. Churches and Cathedrals were often modeled after these great structures. Roman Architecture can also be found in many modern day buildings as well, such as The Capitol Building (The home of the U.S Congress) and Library of Congress. In fact, there are even paintings and statues of their pagan Gods and Goddesses in some of these structures.
Marble and Travertine were used to build. Romans took great care when it came to architecture. The buildings were obviously built some what well do to the fact that many are still standing today. And their beauty continues to interest and inspire people in the modern day world.
[Below] Located immediately below, is an example of the Roman Domes mentioned above.
[Below] Located at the very bottom is an example of the Roman Arches mentioned above.
Roman Housing: Plebeians
Although Patrician housing and architectural styles have had a huge influence on our world today, not everyone could afford the luxuries of a large and comfortable home. Plebeians were the people that would be known as middle class to people who lived in poverty.
Not everyone in the plebian class had to endure awful living conditions, some had enough money to own slaves. But due to the fact that they were not born into a upper class family, they were not able to dwell in such lavish structures like the patricians.
Plebeians lived in apartments called flats. These flats were often above shops or restaurants. If one was living alone these dwellings wouldn't have been so bad and quite open. Though, whole families often lived under the same roof. That meant a mother, father, grandparents, and children. Sometimes even extended family. So things were extremely crowded and very unsanitary. There was often no running water and the families would have to use public latrines and bathes.
Fires were a big threat and cooking was hard.
Although Patrician housing and architectural styles have had a huge influence on our world today, not everyone could afford the luxuries of a large and comfortable home. Plebeians were the people that would be known as middle class to people who lived in poverty.
Not everyone in the plebian class had to endure awful living conditions, some had enough money to own slaves. But due to the fact that they were not born into a upper class family, they were not able to dwell in such lavish structures like the patricians.
Plebeians lived in apartments called flats. These flats were often above shops or restaurants. If one was living alone these dwellings wouldn't have been so bad and quite open. Though, whole families often lived under the same roof. That meant a mother, father, grandparents, and children. Sometimes even extended family. So things were extremely crowded and very unsanitary. There was often no running water and the families would have to use public latrines and bathes.
Fires were a big threat and cooking was hard.