Roman History and Culture Flashcards
(60 cards)
What was the typical city home of the average upper-class Roman family called?
Domus
The domus was characterized by its plain exterior and open-air courtyards.
What are the main features of wealthy Roman palaces on the eastern hills?
Extensive gardens
These palaces were often located on the Quirinal, Viminal, and Exquiline hills.
What were ordinary Romans’ living conditions in cities?
Simple apartments in insulae
Insulae often had three to five stories and covered an entire city block.
Define ‘vestibulum’ in the context of a Roman domus.
Entryway before the front door
Clients gathered in the vestibulum to meet their patron.
What is the purpose of the ‘atrium’ in a Roman domus?
Formal room for receiving guests and clients
The atrium often contained the lararium and was adorned with frescoes.
What is a ‘cubiculum’?
Small bedrooms or sitting rooms
Typically furnished with a bed and a wooden chest.
What does the term ‘triclinium’ refer to?
Dining room with a three-sided cushioned bench
The refined way to dine was in a reclining position.
Fill in the blank: The __________ was a shallow pool in the atrium, used for collecting rainwater and decoration.
Impluvium
It was located directly beneath the opening in the roof.
What is the ‘tablinum’ used for?
Office for family records and treasure chests
It provided a view from the atrium to the peristylium.
True or False: The ‘fauces’ is a corridor leading from the janua to the atrium.
True
The fauces serves as a transition space in the domus.
What is a ‘peristylium’?
Colonnaded interior garden
It often contained frescoes, statuary, and fountains.
What are ‘tabernae’?
Shops operated by the patron or rented out
These shops opened only onto the street.
Define ‘exedra’ in the context of a Roman domus.
Room with seats for formal entertainments
The exedra may have been decorated with frescoes and mosaic floors.
What was commonly used to create mosaic floors in Roman homes?
Small bits of colored glass (tesserae)
These mosaics often depicted scenes from mythology or nature.
What is the ‘culina’?
Kitchen
It was an essential part of the Roman domus.
What does the ‘impluvium’ collect rainwater for?
Both for collecting rainwater and decoration
It served both practical and aesthetic purposes.
Fill in the blank: The __________ was the formal room where guests were received and clients assembled.
Atrium
It played a central role in the social functions of the domus.
What was a central feature of Roman social life?
The Roman bathhouse
What were the large public baths in Roman cities called?
Thermae
How were the largest baths in Rome characterized?
Enormous, covering several city blocks, luxuriously decorated with murals and costly marbles
What supplied water for the Roman bathhouses?
Aqueducts
How often did citizens attend the baths?
Daily
Who maintained the bathhouses and attended the guests?
Slaves
What was the custom regarding bathing for men and women during the empire?
Women bathed in the morning and men in the afternoon
