View Page: Roman atrium house - form and function

	Roman atrium house - form and function
	written by jwang3 / 09.22.2005

Section One

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Introduction

http://pompeii.virginia.edu/aerialforum.jpg

Aerial Pompeii

Only 1/3 of Pompeii has been uncovered so far.

Settled before 800 BC, Pompeii underwent several colonizations, including both Greek and Etruscan reign, before being conquered by the Romans in 310 BC. Influenced by both groups, the two-part Roman atrium house was formed by incorporating Greek garden (peristylum) elements with the Etruscan atrium, creating a dwelling of great size and functionality.

As housing in Rome became more and more crowded, the wealthy elite began to migrate to Pompeii, causing Pompeii to become a city whose denizens consisted the extremely wealthy and powerful and their slaves. The homes were occupied by a single household, comprised of several generations, slaves, intimate friends, and occasionally, clients close to the family. The paterfamilias, legally recognized as the ultimate authority of the Roman famalia, not only secured the resources of the family, but also determined the future of each member. As the patron of the house, he would hire various architects and slaves in order to build these homes.

After the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, the city of Pompeii was buried in its precise historical, social, and cultural context, allowing us a glimpse of Roman domestic life. After being subject to roughly two millennia of looting, Pompeii’s location was finally discovered in the 18th century. Excavations began in 1748; over 200 atrium-style houses have been discovered to this day..

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