Pompeii: Roman Domus

AG: In one of our many trips we went to visit the ancient Roman ruins of Pompeii. It was there that we saw a great example of one of the numerous topics we have covered in class, a Roman Domus. A domus is a type of house that was occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Imperial and Republican eras. From the Roman Domus and the way it is designed, we focused on two things the most, the atrium and the peristyle. The Atrium would be considered the most important part of the house; it was open in the center and it was usually where the family guests were greeted. As for the peristyle, it was an open courtyard within the house. The example we had at Pompeii showed us what a Roman Domus looked like. As we made our way around the house we saw both the atrium and the peristyle. The atrium was basically a room that had an opened area on the roof and was what would give the room plenty of light as well as allowed air to circulate. Aside from those two things, it also allowed the family to collect drinking or washing water. As for the peristyle, it reminded me of a small garden (would be considered large because it is inside of the house) that had walkways to other rooms of the house. If it is as great as I have imagined it looked like, I am sure this type of house would have been beautiful to see when it was fully decorated.