DID YOU KNOW? In Ancient Rome, poor and lower middle class
Romans lived in crowded, dirty and mostly rundown rental apartments, known as insulae. These would be multi-level
apartment blocks built as high and tightly together as possible. In these
apartments entire families (grandparents, parents, children) might all be
crowded into one room, without running water. They had to haul their water in
from public facilities. People cooked meals in crowded quarters, but most insulae
did not have kitchens so people ate meals at pubs and bars, inns, and food
stalls. Many of these flats were made of
wood, so fire was always a hazard. The uppermost floors were the least desirable
and the cheapest to rent. These were the smallest apartments and did not have
heating, running water or lavatories. Occupants had to use Rome’s system of
public restrooms (latrinae). Although it
was prohibited, residents would dump trash and human excrement out the windows
onto the streets and alleys.
BUT ~ the homes
of the elite classes in Ancient Rome were constructed with
elaborate marble decorations, inlaid marble paneling, door jambs and columns as
well as expensive paintings and frescoes.
Wealthy homeowners lived in buildings with few exterior windows. Glass
windows weren't readily available: glass production was in its infancy. Wealthy
Roman citizens lived in large homes separated into two parts, and linked
together through the tablinum or study or by a small passageway.
In my novel, The
Merchant’s Daughter, The House of Vibus is one such home (domus). Although
for most Roman households the two kinds of housing were intermingled in the
city and not segregated into separate neighborhoods, Vibus had a country estate
(villa urbana). He preferred living in the cooler hills and away from the city
of Naples (Neapolis). It was grand, but laid out in a typical Roman fashion.
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| English: A Pompeian Interior Luigi Bazzani 1882 oil on panel Dahesh Museum of Art (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
VESTIBULUM: The
vestibulum was the main entryway hall. It is usually only seen in grander
structures. Many urban homes had shops or rental space directly off the
streets with the front door between. This would create a security by keeping the main
portion of the home off the street. In Vibus’ home there was no need for a
shop or rental space, the entryway and family living quarters were still
separated by a vestibulum.
ATRIUM: The
atrium was the most important part of the house, where guests and dependents
(clients) were greeted. The atrium was open in the center, surrounded at least
in part by high-ceilinged porticoes. Here there were only sparse
furnishings to give the effect of a large space. In the center was a square
roof opening called the compluvium in which rainwater could come, draining
inwards from the slanted tiled roof. Directly below the compluvium was the
impluvium (which was basically a drain pool, a shallow rectangular sunken
portion of the Atrium to gather rainwater, which drained into an underground
cistern.) In Vibus' home the pool was lined with marble, around which was a floor
of small mosaic.
PERISTYLIUM/INNER
COURTYARD: Just beyond the atrium was the peristylium. It was an open
courtyard within the house. The columns surrounding the garden supported a
shady roofed portico. The inner walls were embellished with elaborate
wall paintings. The courtyard contained flowers and shrubs, fountains, benches,
sculptures and fish ponds. The House of Vibus had this traditional courtyard,
but his home also contained a non-traditional garden in the back of his home
because of the amount of land he owned. He and the family often sat at the back
garden to enjoy open view to the hills toward the mounts of Somma and Vesuvius.
He also purposed this back garden to enjoy the cooler breezes off the Bay of
Naples during the warm summers.
TABLINUM (OFFICE): Between the atrium and the inner courtyard
was the tablinum a sort of office. Here Quintus Vibus would receive his clients
for the morning salutatio. From this vantage point he is able to command the
house and all his business dealings.
TRICLINIUM: The
Triclinium is a Roman dining room. The area had three couches (klinai) on three
sides of a low square table. Diners would recline on these surfaces in a
semi-recumbent position. They would eat leaning up on their elbow. The fourth side of the table was left free to allow
service to the table. Middle class and elite Roman houses usually had at least
two triclinia; it's not unusual to find four or more. The main Triclinium in Vibus' house had elaborate decorations. It was
decorated with perspective scenes and central paintings of Dionysus, Venus, and
still lifes of food. Although the tradition of reclining on couches for dinner
parties was standard, a casual meal was taken at a table with chairs, the way
we do today.
CULINA: The
culina was a kitchen in a Roman house. It was dark and gloomy and smoke filled
the room because there was no chimney. This is where slaves prepared food for
their masters and guests in Roman times.
An Excerpt from THE
MERCHANT’S DAUGHTER
registered and copyrighted 2014 Tina
Concetta Marzocca
all rights reserved
Quintus Vibus looked around the table. All eyes were on
Seth, eager to hear his news. Vibus knew this would not be good news. He
thought he’d better hear it first then make his decisions and inform the family
and staff in his own way. The children were frightened enough as it was.
“Meet me in the Atrium … no, not the Atrium,” he thought
better of it realizing the open atrium would be filled with falling ash and
stench from the noxious cloud, “… in the study. Send for Felix. He’s probably
in the kitchen eating with the others.”
Vibus waved Seth out and turned to meet the eyes at the
table. They all looked disappointed, but he still thought it best not to speak
in front of the children or the Assas who were tending the feeding of the
younger children. His son, Marcellus, was just shy of his twelfth birthday. He
was still a boy. It would be four years before he’d be considered a man.
Perhaps it was time to begin his training for manhood.
“Come Aelia, I need you to be there. We will have plans and
preparations to make.” Aelia appeared to be relieved to be part of the
discussion. Vibus turned to his son. “Marcellus, we are in a crisis and I need
my son to learn what it is to be a man. This is your time. Make me proud.”
Marcellus almost leapt from his seat. “I will father, I
promise.”
They walked through the atrium to get to the study. They
were amazed at how much ash had fallen through the opening in the roof. There
was a small pool of water in the middle of the atrium directly under the
opening. It was swaying from the rolling movement of the earth, matted and
covered in black pumice and ash. The thunderous noises from the mountain had
been muted while they were inside the triclinium, but now it echoed and roared
shaking the foundations of the building. The group gathered quickly in the
study, shutting the door to keep the horrible smells at bay.
“Seth, what say you?” Vibus was anxious to hear the news
from the forum.
Seth relayed the alarming news. “The eruption blast has
spewed forth massive amounts of ash, pumice and earth toward the cities of
Herculaneum and Pompeii. So enormous was the blast that day turned to night and
caused violent tremors in the cities. Great buildings and temples have fallen.
In Herculaneum the people have fled to the beaches but the sea is filled with
floating banks of pumice. The ships could not get near the shore nor could any
ships leave the harbor. The southern winds have blown most of the ash and
pumice into Pompeii and it is burying the city. Some have escaped by sea. Many
are making their way to Stabia, but the messenger fears that Stabia is also in
the path of destruction. The heavens are raining fire and earth. It is
accumulating at an alarming speed and force. Roofs are collapsing because of
the weight and buildings are on fire. People are being buried where they stand.
There is panic and chaos in the streets along with many dead and injured. The
messenger was barely able to make his way north along the coast to Neapolis. He
is begging for rescue missions. There will be no other messengers behind him.
The roads are gone; there is no passage in many places.”
Pompeii, a Short Story including five bonus chapters of The Merchant's Daughter is now available in Paperback as well as Kindle versions.
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