Pompeii and Herculaneum Housing
description
Transcript of Pompeii and Herculaneum Housing
Student Number: 58803
Pompeii and Herculaneum: Housing5. Housing and differing housing styles in Pompeii and Herculaneum, including the changes in houses over time and use as commercial premises.
Student Number: 58803
Student Number: 58803
The houses found in Pompeii and Herculaneum are perhaps the greatest and
most informative forms of architectural evidence found in these ancient cities.
They provide the basis for our understanding of the commonly accepted Roman
domus1 and attribute an extensive wealth of knowledge into the ancient minds in
how they lived their lives.
One thing that should first be established is the fallacy of labeling theories of
the ancient world as an absolute truth, as nothing of this previous time can be
known for certain. It is this limitation that allows for many constantly changing
theories and interpretations of housing in Pompeii and Herculaneum. The
information that is contained in this research paper is what is commonly
accepted as the truth at this point in time.
Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill in his work Houses and Society in Pompeii
and Herculaneum (1994) has meticulously studied the many aspects of the
Pompeii and Herculaneum, in particular the houses of these ancient towns.
Based on this he categorised housing into four types to allow for an
understanding of the complexity and variety in the evolution of the Pompeian
house. These categories are; shops and workshops, larger workshop residences,
the average Pompeian house, and the largest houses (villa urbana2).
WHAT IS THE ‘ROMAN’ HOUSE? – THE VETRUVIUS MODEL
Traditionally the guidelines of a Roman/Pompeian House, or as it is known
as; domus italica, were extrapolated from the works of Vitruvius, a 1st century
architect who wrote De Architectura. This manual written during the time of
Augustus3 detailed intricate architectural Roman building methods, including
things such as the appearance of Roman houses and what took place in certain
rooms; it was “an ideal Roman house plan”4. These guidelines were initially
applied to housing in Pompeii and Herculaneum, but have since been mostly
1 Domus is the Latin term meaning house or home.2 According to Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century CE, “the villa urbana, was a country seat that could easily be reached from Rome or another city for a night or two”3 Augustus reign begun in 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.4 Diana E. E. Kleiner, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Houses and Villas at Pompeii
Student Number: 58803
disproven through the works of historians such as Andrew Wallace-Hadrill and
large amounts of archaeological evidence that didn’t correspond.
As the work of Elanor Winsor Leach cautions, one must be wary of applying
very specific names to the rooms of houses in Pompeii and Herculaneum. She
denotes the faults in often seeing Pompeii as an adjunct to Rome, and therefore
applying texts such as De Architectura inappropriately. As seen in Appendix A1,
Wallace-Hadrill takes a similar approach. Reasons for this include the fact that
many houses built in Pompeii and Herculaneum were built before these towns
came under Roman rule, many constructed during the Samnite Period5. Also it is
now believed that rooms may have served multi-purposes, and quite possibly
room uses would of changed over time to respond to differing needs. It is this
fact that makes models such as ‘the ideal model’ developed by August Mau6 in the
nineteenth century far too schematic.
With this said, despite the changing interpretations of archaeological evidence,
Vitruvius’ rules may be applied to Pompeian and Herculaneum houses as mere
guidelines, employing these traditional labels in light of the cautions detailed
above.
AN AVERAGE POMPEIAN HOUSE
Based on archaeological evidence, ancient literary sources, and the work of
modern historians we can establish the ‘average Pompeian house’. The elements
commonly associated with the average house are seen throughout Pompeii and
Herculaneum, in houses and villas alike (though in villas we tend to see more
variation.) Whilst many of the grandiose houses that tend to appeal to the public
today appear to differ vastly from this ‘ideal’ plan of Vetruvius, it can still be
often found in the core of the house, before wealthy owners constructed
multifarious renovations. Variations of these town houses littered the streets of
Pompeii (and Herculaneum), as Historian Phil Sheppard describes, “No two
5 Also know as the ‘Pre-Roman Period’, the Samnite period in Pompeii is approximately 4th Century BC – 3rd Century BC 6 August Mau (1840 – 1909) was a prominent German art historian and archaeologist who first divided Roman paintings into the four Pompeian Styles still used as a classification. He based his design of the ‘ideal house’ on the work of Vitruvius
Student Number: 58803
houses were the same, and varied in size from 50 room mansions to modest
homes.” The main core features of these town houses were:
Vestibulum and/or fauces : These were the entrance space leading into the
house, and often quite important.7
Atrium : Consisting of a compluvium and impluvium the atrium was a very
important part of the house for domestic activity, ceremonial and sacred
activity, and even commercial activity. A place for the pater familias to
greet clients.
Lararium : Family shrines dedicated to the household deities, often located
in the atrium or alae.
Tablinum : Main reception room of the house where daily business was
conducted.
Alae ; ‘wings’: Multi-purpose rooms opening into the atrium.
Triclinum : Roman dining room.
Cubicula : Smaller rooms that may have had many uses, but are generally
thought to have been rooms for sleeping.
Hortus (later peristylium ): Enclosed garden located inside the perimeters
of the house.
Taberna : Quite possibly adapted from Greece, these were shops at the
front of houses on the street side that were either rented out by the
owners of the house or utilised by the owners themselves.
For an example of the plan of the idealised Pompeian/Roman house, refer to
Appendix A1. An actual close example of this is the House of the Tragic Poet in
Pompeii, as seen in Appendix A2.
The main conceptual and design features that can be seen in these earlier
built houses that have not undergone major renovation is that of axiality8,
symmetry, enclosure, and facing inwards. As seen in the House of the Surgeon
(Appendix A3) and in the plan of the domus italica (Appendix A1) symmetry was
very important in the building of these earlier houses. Long lines of sight as seen
7 Vitruvius wrote ‘buildings having magnificent interiors’ should also have ‘elegant entrance courts to correspond: for there will be no propriety in the spectacle of an elegant interior approached by a low, mean entrance.’ – Vitruvius, De architectura, VI. 3.18 Yale Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner professes the importance of axiality in her lecture ‘5. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Houses and Villas at Pompeii’
Student Number: 58803
in Appendix A4 were very common in these houses, vertically and horizontally
across the axes of the house, and often looking from the entrance all the way
towards the hortus or peristylium.
The fact that almost all houses built in this early period contained these
design features, and then there was a seemingly uniform progression across
many houses at once is very informative in our understanding of this ancient
society. It is revealing of the superficiality of the Pompeian’s and the importance
that they placed on image, as shown through constantly following and keeping
up to date in the ‘trends’ of their houses which can be seen as a reflection or
extension of themselves.
VARIATIONS THROUGH TIME AND PURPOSE – THE EVOLUTION
These concepts of symmetry, axiality, and facing inwards appear to devolve
as Roman society evolves, and we see the influence of other cultures comes into
effect. Parallel to shifts and changes in art, commerce, and religion, Pompeian
architecture altered in style under the influence of foreign cultures, and we saw
the birth of the Hellenised9 domus, taking on many architectural conventions and
styles from the Greeks. These changes occurred notably in the 2nd century BC,
and out of necessity to adhere to these trends of the time the ‘classical’ distinct
concepts of symmetry, axiality and others had to be often disregarded.
Importantly, it should be taken note of the fact that Pompeii did originally have
Greek links through their Estrucan and Oscan roots, pre-Roman influence. After
all, it was Hippodamus10 himself that laid out the grid pattern for the streets and
houses of Pompeii.
In this transition generally the core of the house stayed the same, with
occasionally some rooms losing their traditional value or purpose. The most
prominent and distinct feature incorporated into the ‘new’ style homes, adapted
from the Greeks was the additional of columns around the home. The addition of
columns could most commonly be found in the garden, which became a
9 Hellenised represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BC to about 146 BC, in this instance in specific reference to housing.10 Hippodamus of Miletos (498 BC — 408 BC) was an ancient Greek architect, urban planner, physician, mathematician, meteorologist and philosopher and is considered to be the “father” of urban planning.
Student Number: 58803
peristylium (replacing the hortus). Displays of culture and education such as this
where clear motifs to make a symbolic statement of status as a citizen of Pompeii
or Herculaneum.
Similar to this, there is also evidence of Hellenisation of the atrium as seen in
Appendix A4, at the House of the Silver Wedding, with columns being
implemented in renovations11. This specific type of atrium became known as a
tetrastyle atrium, and as Wallace Haddrill describes, “columns, whether in an
atrium or a peristyle or within a room, have the effect of marking out space as
prestigious”.12
It is the undergoing of these renovations, which is what led to the loss of
more traditional design features. As wealthy house owners purchased
surrounding properties in order to expand and renovate, naturally features such
as symmetry had to be discarded. An example of this is shown in Appendix B1,
which is the House of the Faun. Following the outline of the aforementioned
transition, the House of the Faun was originally constructed in the 2nd Century
AD following the traditional domus plan, and then in the following centuries
underwent extensive renovation and mass expansion. The extent of this
expansion is so large that it occupied the whole insulae13, and at the time of the
eruption of 79AD it included 2 atrium and 2 peristylium. At this time it then was a
clear example of the Hellenised domus, and due to this expansion, traditional
features of symmetry and axiality were neglected. Another interesting element of
the House of the Faun was rather then importing expensive marble for the
columns, stucco has been used to give the illusion of marble, projecting an image
of wealth and cultivation of culture, and perhaps enhancing their social status, at
a more affordable price.
Another evolution that can be seen in many of the developing town houses,
such as the House of the Vetti, was the loss of the tablinum, as it morphed into
pretty much a basic passageway. With this change there was a clear shift of
importance from the atrium of the house to the peristyle. This is summed up in a
passage from the article The House of Menander, Pompeii as seen in Appendix B2;
11 These renovations occurred in either 1st century BC or 1st century AD (This is controversial with no definitive evidence).12 A. Wallace-Hadrill, Houses and Society in Pomepian and Herculaneum, p.2213 Each block of buildings bordering the streets was known as an insulae.
Student Number: 58803
detailing the underlying motives and reasoning behind these conceptual and
symbolic shifts. Also the developing houses tended to gain a lot more open space
to the outside world, similar to a Greek design.
Commercial shops and workshops where commonly found in the taberna of
a house with residence space behind them, but as well as these there were many
buildings completely designed and designated as commercial premises.
Examples of these public buildings flood the streets of Pompeii, and in particular
the forum. They are another example of the differing housing styles that we have
uncovered in Pompeii.
This article attempts to explore what is an intensely deep and knowledge
rich topic in the excavation and understanding of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
Quite possibly the major ideal to take from this article is the massive variety of
houses reflecting the massive variety in the lives of these ancient people, which
on a basic level is quite comparable to society today.
Appendix A1
Student Number: 58803
The world of the metropolitan Roman elite to whom we owe our literary sources might be ill-matched with that of a second-rate Italian town of local landowners and traders. Indeed, it quite normal for the basic structures of Pompeian houses… to date back to the period conventionally termed “Samnite” when Pompeii was an independent town, not “Roman”. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, Houses and Society in Pomepian and Herculaneum, p.15
Appendix B1
Image taken from source:http://educanogalte.wordpress.com/ambito-social/historia-2/roma/la-casa-romana/
Appendix B2
Student Number: 58803
Image taken from source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ground_plan_of_the_House_of_the_Tragic_Poet,_Pompeii.jpg
Appendix B3
Student Number: 58803
Image taken from source: http://archaeologystudent.wordpress.com/2011/05/15/roman-jigsaw-puzzles/
Appendix B4
Student Number: 58803
This picture shows the line of sight in the House of the Silver Wedding, clearly depicting the axiality that was an integral inclusion of the house design. Notable also is the presence of a tetrastyle atrium.Image taken from source: http://www.lessing-photo.com/search.asp?a=L&lc=202020204A30&co=&ci=&ln=Archaeological+Site%2C+Pompeii%2C+Italy&p=8&ipp=6
Student Number: 58803
Appendix C1
Image depicts Plan of the House of the Faun, taken from source: http://archaeology.about.com/od/archaeologicalsi3/ss/pompeii_faun_2.htm
Appendix C2
The peristyle garden had by now become the visual nexus of the house, a link between the public and private. It ended the public fauces-atrium-tablinum axis but it was also the focal point for views emphasizing status from the dining and reception rooms that surrounded it. For example, from the summer triclinium, the focus was the ancestral shrine. This view was again framed with columns. By highlighting the shrine in such a way, the viewer was being reminded of their host’s long and illustrious pedigree. Even friends and invited guests needed reminding of their place within the social hierarchy. Natasha Sheldon, The House of Menander, Pompei, Jan 27 2008, http://suite101.com/article/the-house-of-menander-a42406
Student Number: 58803
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Tragic_Poethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfeSZ7KTVnQhttp://cs.iupui.edu/~vkilmer/pompeii/04housing.htmlhttp://www.pompeionline.net/pompeii/houses.htmhttp://books.google.com.au/books?id=Xqvxhwq3E9cC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94&dq=pompeii+housing+types&source=bl&ots=5VCHV-PWwN&sig=2kj8FO_PCxScta6cZa1y7_-a9aI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZIWgUJubApGkiQfOm4GYAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=pompeii%20housing%20types&f=falsehttps://newington.instructure.com/courses/838002/files/23620517?module_item_id=4797917http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeiihttps://newington.instructure.com/courses/838002/files/23620504?module_item_id=4797904https://newington.instructure.com/courses/838002/wiki/houses-and-villas-of-pompeii?module_item_id=4797890http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/report/1i.htmlhttp://www.philsheppard.com.au/POMPEIIandHERCULANEUMFinalScript.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_MauWallace-Hadrill, A (1994) Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (New Jersey: Princeton University Press)Ling, R (1983) ‘The Insula of Menander at Pompeii: Interm Report”. The Antiquaries Journal 63:34-57.Raper, R A, (1977) ‘The Analysis of Urban Structure’ in D Clarke (ed) Spatial Architecture. London: Academic PressLaurence, R, (1994) Roman Pompeii: Space and SocietyRichardson, L. (1988) Pompeii. An Architectural HistoryBeard, M. (2008). Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. Profile Books.Bradley, P. (2005). Cities of Vesuvius: Pompeii and Herculaneum. Cambridge University Press