Roman house![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
For wealthy Romans, family life unfolded in spacious luxurious houses whose rooms were arranged around open-air spaces.
bed chamber ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Sleeping chamber whose only piece of furniture usually consisted of a bed made of wood or masonry.
mosaic ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Collection of small fragments (e.g., stone, marble, terra-cotta) held together by mortar; it depicts a motif, and sometimes even very elaborate scenes.
latrines ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Small comfortable room featuring a stone or marble bench with a crescent-shaped opening, connected to a waste channel with running water.
kitchen ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Room where meals were prepared.
dining room ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Dining area containing three beds arranged in a U shape that Romans would stretch out on while eating.
garden ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Plot of land used to grow vegetables and decorated with flowers, shrubs, fountains and so forth.
peristyle ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Colonnade surrounding the inner court.
shop ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
On the street side, the Roman house often included commercial spaces that were rented out to artisans and tradesmen.
impluvium ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Basin in the central part of the atrium to receive rainwater.
atrium ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
The main room in the house; its central part was exposed to the open air to collect rainwater and let sunlight in.
vestibule ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Entrance to the house that acted as the passage from public life to private life.
tile ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Hard surface, usually made of baked molded clay, used as a covering for roofs.
fresco ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Large mural painting that decorated the walls of houses during antiquity.
compluvium ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Aperture built into the atrium roof to let rainwater pour into the impluvium.
tablinum ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Hall separating the peristyle from the atrium.
timber ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Framework of beams that supports the roof of the building and provides stability.