Private Buildings: villas, houses and shops Flashcards
Town Houses: What information can housing provide about life at P and H?
Purpose, activities carried out in room at diff time of day. Urban topography, fashion of day, growth in population, changes in economics and one or several earthquakes
Types of Housing: Briefly outline Wallace-Hadrill’s four groups of housing.
- shops and workshops, with 1 or 2 roomed residences behind or above (pergulae - upper floor)
- large workshop residences of 2-7 rooms on ground floor, some with atrium and even richly decorated
- average Pompeian house with 8-13 rooms, most integrated with a workshop/shop, symmetrical plan and common architectural features such as decorated atrium, tablinum and peristyle.
- Largest houses designed for hospitality and large no. of visitors, with separate space for slave. Often has two atria, large ornamental gardens - some 2 peristyles - and richly decorated
Features of town houses: Describe the general appearance of house facades. What did the rooves look like?
The exterior was austere. few to none windows on street side, entrance located between shops/workshops.
No indication of rich decoration or elegance. Most doors made of wood. red tiled roofs usually flat or gently sloping.
Features of town houses: describe the developent of the water supply in Pompeii
- Prior to Augustus’ reign, households relied on underground cisterns (tanks holding water) and cylindrical or marbled wells adjacent to the impluvium for access to water. By 1st C AD, many houses believed to have water connected via elaborate system of pipes that supplied service areas, gardens and fountains of private homes. (aqueduct, large lead main under ground, small pipes)
Villas: Where the villas located?
seated across Sarno Plain, 100 villas discovered.
12 villas uncovered at maritime hillside at Stabiea (5km S of Pompeii). Other side of P at Boscoreale uncovered more palatial residences e.g. Villa od Pisanella
Villas: How did they differ from town houses?
didn’t look inward but designed to view sea or rolling countryside. Often built on diff levels, with terraces/belvederes (structure built for fine view), gardens, thermal baths, swimming pool etc.
Villas: what type of villa is the Villa of Papyri considered to be? What features made it fit this description?
Made for leisure and in imperical residence sue to dimension, extensive garden, terrace overlooiking sea, paved with finest mosaic every discovered, and marble and bronze structures
Villas: Why is called the Villa of Papyri?
contained the largest papyrus library every found. 1 800 rolls = writings of Epicurean philosophers and work of Philodemus of Gadara. Content covered topics as poetry, ethics, music, love, death.
Villas: What do the frescoes within the Villa of Mysteries depict?
Tablinum and triclinium painted in life size figures including continuous fresco that appear to show an initiation rite into Dionysiac mysteries.
Domestic Life: Who is the paterfamilias of the household?
the male head of a roman household. Could decide if child part of family or outcasted. Control children no matter what age until death/
Domestic Life: Comment on positive and negative aspects of being a woman in P.
- even if give birth, man must decide whether to accept into family
- controlled his daughter’s finances even if married
- if death, girl/woman placed under guardianship of another male.
- stereotypical job - look after family
Domestic Life: List some common foods which were consumed by the people of P and H.
milk, egg, bread, cheese, olives, sausages, fish, poultry, meat, seafood, fruit, wine, cakes, nuts, oysters, olives, spices
Domestic Life: explain why the house was considered to be a sacred place. Describe the ceremonies and rituals that took place/
it was the centre of worship, religion and domestic ritual. they were associated with household gods: lares, penates, genius, ancestors, rites of passage.
Offering and prayers taken place at household alter (lararium) in atrium. It was the centre of family life, personal religion, business and political dealings = sacred
Describe timeline of typical day of a wealthy male in pompeii
Morning:
- breakfast at sunrise =milk, bread, cheese
- visits by associates, clients and dependents for business and political ambitions, discuss aims and goals, support.
- accompany patrons to forum and other public buildings to conduct business, listen to court cases, attend polical meetings, carry out financial transactions and widen network
Midday:
- return home for lunch = modest meal of cold meat, egg, veggies, bread and left over form previous dinner. -> some also visit hot food stands out of necessity or preference
Afternoon:
- attend public bath complexes -> indulge in range of therapies e.g. massages
Night:
- return home for dinner or prepare to attend special dinner party -> divided into 3 phases with wine served throughout
gustatio (entre) e.g. eggs, veggies, sausages
Mensae Primae (main) meat, fish, veggies
Mensae Secundae (dessert) - fruit, cheese, cake
followed by salty dish e.g. oyster, so guests could drink alot of wine after meal.
how many houses has been excavated in P?
800 houses
range from 50 room mansions to modest family homes of a few rooms.
What floor is it less desirable to be in?
top floor
how is plant life in garden (open courtyard - peristyle) known?
from fresco depiction and plaster of root shapes, arch. can identify plant species grown at P and H.
How many blocks excavted in H?
4 blocks, many types of houses (no rich/poor areas)
Where are the shops?
housefront/streetfront (facade)
often front rooms of shops opened up to streets as shops.
could be workshops, bakeries, bars etc.
What does the houses look like from outside?
from outside - plain, uninviting, blank walls, heavy doors, narrow (although rare) windows
provided maximum security, privacy and lessened noise from city
hence, presence of inner courtyard, the peristyle
What did the peristyle feature?
overlooked garden
trees, shrubs, plants, flowers, statues, garden walls painted with nature or mythology scenes
not every house had it
What was the houses of wealthy like?
- extremely detailed, elaborate and unique
- no 2 houses are identical, esp. with wealthy.
- room function complex
cant compare these with modern functions.
