DomUs

Domus is a Latin term meaning house or home. In classical Roman usage, it referred to the urban, single-family dwelling of a free citizen, as distinct from rural villas or multi-family apartment blocks. The domus functioned as both a private residence and a social center, reflecting status through layout, decoration, and space allocated to family, guests, and slaves.

A typical domus was organized around an atrium, the main reception space open to the sky via a ceiling opening called the compluvium and often containing an impluvium to collect rainwater. From the atrium, rooms radiated or opened onto it, including the tablinum (the master’s office or meeting room), the triclinium (dining room), and several cubicula (bedrooms). A culina housed the kitchen, and a peristyle or small garden provided light and air. Ancillary spaces for storage and service, as well as a lararium, the household shrine, supported domestic religion and daily rituals. The fauces served as the entrance passage, while the arrangement and decoration—frescoes, mosaics, and sculpture—signal the homeowner’s wealth and taste.

Social life and labor were embedded in the domus. The pater familias presided over family and slaves, conducted business, hosted clients, and performed religious rites within the home. The domus differed from the later medieval house and from the rural villa, yet its basic idea—an organized, status-marked domestic space—shaped subsequent architectural concepts in Europe.

In archaeology and architectural history, domus remains a standard term for Roman urban dwellings. The concept and features are most famously preserved in excavations of cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, where multiple domus illustrate variations in layout and decoration.