Evolution of Housing in Ostia

• Republican Peristyle Domus (through early Empire)

• Early Insula-Trajan

• Major Phase of Insula Construction-Hadrian

• Redecoration-Antonine and Severan

• Breakup of Larger Apartments

• New Phase of Domus Construction

• Decline, Decay and Abandonment

Housing

Yale Open CoursesLecture 16 Roman Architecture

Residential Architecture at Ostia: The Insulae [00:36:57 -00:49:43]

Needs in Housing?

• Basic amenities (4 s’s)

• Symbol of status and honor

– Social hierarchy and relationships

– Salutatio: Client-Patron

– Convivium: Owner-friends

• Income

– Rentals of apartments and shops

– Shops found in all environments

Where People Lived

• Unmarried laborer or poor family

– Inn/Boarding house?

– Sublet by day or week

• Shopkeeper/ Craftsman

– Room in back of shop

– Mezzanine above shop

Where People Lived

• Small apartment in an insula

– Medianum apartment

• Larger apartment in an insula

• Domus – single family house

Atrium – peristyle house (idealized)

ParlorTablinum – salutio

Dining room(s)Triclinium – convivium

Bedroomscubiculi

Domus di Giove Fulminatore (IV,IV,3)

Domus di Giove Fulminatore (IV,IV,3); Apotropaic ‘welcome mat’(photos: Jan Theo Bakker; Wikimedia Commons)

Alterations

• Supports for a loft (House of the Paintings)

• Mezzanines indicated by internal staircases in shops

• Possibility of wood partitions

Opus spicatum: Flooring in shops and some upper

stories

Small ApartmentsWalls

• Yellow or white panels

• Miniature landscapes, still-lifes, isolated

animals, birds, garlands, and cupids.

• No figures

Floors

• White tesserae

• Crushed pottery or brick in mortar

• Opus spicatum in utility areas

House of Annius

• Commercial building converted to a three room and a five apartment

Cooking – A Double Boiler?Elizabeth Fentress Cooking pots and cooking practice: an African bain-marie?

Papers of the British School at Rome 78 (2010), pp. 145-50

197

23

196

Cubiculo Cubiculo Latrine

Exedra

Medianum

3m

Casette-tipo: A basic medianum apartment Trajanic period (117.3 m2=1263 ft2) III xiii 2

Medianum Apartments - Duplex

Domus delle

Muse

Casa delle

Ierodule

House

of the

Yellow

Walls

Design features

• Walls

– Architectural, polychrome backgrounds in main

rooms

• Floors

– Somewhat complex in main rooms

– Simpler geometrical patterns, white or white w. black

borders in other rooms

House of the Yellow Walls [Casa delle Pareti Gialle (III,IX,12)]

House of the Yellow Walls, Room 8

House of the Yellow Walls, Room 8Hercules and Achelous.

House of the Yellow Walls, Room 5. Photograph: Stephan Mols

House of the MusesPlan with mosaics

House of the MusesRoom of the Muses (5), S. wall, Apollo flanked by two Muses. Clarke 1991, plate 20

House of the MusesApollo

Casa delle Ierodule(III,IX,6) Casa di LucceiaPrimitiva)Drawing of the paintings on the ceiling of room 6.

Veloccia Rinaldi 1971, fig. 4.

House of Diana

A Look at an Insula (V. ii)

• 14 buildings

• Including presumed upper floors: 61 % private;

39% public

• Five shops, factories, storage areas

• Baths of the Philosopher

A Look at an Insula (V. ii)

• Two Mansions

– House of Fortuna Annonaria

– House of the Porch (Domus del Protiro)

• A smaller domus

• Two apartment buildings

House of the Porch

Sanitation: Insula (V. ii)

• Public latrine by baths (10-15 seats)

• House of the Porch; House of Fortuna

Annonaria; House of the Well

– (Ground floor and upper floor)

– Rental area (ground and upper floor)

• Apartment House

– Latrine in shop; latrines on both floors of rear

apartment

Furnishing the Ostian Home

Bronze Fittings

for furniture

Dining

• At home – purchase food at shops and market

• Out – hot food

• Out – cold food

• Drink

Fish shop, mosaic sign

Relief from Isola Sacra: wine, oil, water?

Relief from Isola Sacra, another scene

Conjectured amphorae

DrinkCaupona di Fortunato (II,VI,1)

‘Thermopolium’

Ostia Antica.org/ Bill Strange

Caupona di Alexander e Helix (IV,VII,4)Sports bar? Brothel?

Aurleius Helix: considered greatest pancratist of his time (218-222)Gaius Perelius Aurelius Alexander: head of the association of athletes in Rome

?

Other Mosaics

Seven Sages Room 5Photograph: Stephan Mols.

Thales

Baths

• Hygiene

• Exercise

• Socializing

• Recreation

• Art galleryloutron alexiponon

Baths for driving away sorrow

Baths – Part of Life

Balnea, vina, Venus.

Mecum senuere per annos

Baths, wine, Venus (love) grow old with me through the years.

Baths

Type Financing Size Amenities Examples

Thermae Public or

major

benefactor

Entire Block Palestra Porta

Marina,

Neptune

Forum

Balnea Speculator Within insula No palestra Seven Sages

Association Cisiari,

Philosopher

Sanctuary Buticosus

Private Within

domus or

villa

Dioscures

Comparison of Baths

Forum, Pompeii

80 BCE

Forum, Ostia

160 CE

Caracalla, Rome

216 CE

Diocletian, Rome

305 CE

Baths of the Forum

Changing rooms

4, 5, 12, 13

Cold bath

6

Lukewarm baths

17, 18

Hot bath

19

Sweat bath

16

Sun-bathing

15

Forum Baths-Palestra

Forum Baths-reconstruction

Athletes

Marciana Neptune

TheaterTheatrical masks: part of the architectural decoration

Photograph: Jan Theo Bakker.

Combat Scenes

Mould: Fighting animals

Graffito: Gladiators

Gladiator

Terracotta

Mould: Eteokles, Oedipus, Jocata, Polykneikes