cubicula

Cubicula (singular cubiculum) is a Latin term used to describe small rooms in Roman domestic architecture as well as subterranean burial chambers in early Christian catacombs. The word derives from Latin cubiculum, literally “a place to sleep,” and in classical sources it designates private, intimate spaces rather than public rooms.

In Roman houses, cubicula were private chambers used as bedrooms. They were part of the typical domus layout, situated off the atrium or near other private spaces, and varied in size and arrangement according to the house’s plan and the occupant’s status. Furnishings would commonly include a bed (lectus), chests or wardrobes, and occasionally seating or storage. As private spaces, cubicula served for sleeping, personal dressing, and retreat from more public rooms such as the atrium and tablinum.

In Christian catacombs, cubicula refer to small subterranean chambers used for burial and commemoration. These rooms could house loculi (stone slots for individual remains) or arcosolia (arched recesses), and were often decorated with inscriptions or frescoes and accompanied by memorial practices. The term in this context highlights the private or family-oriented nature of these burial spaces within the broader underground necropolis.

The term cubicula thus covers both a domestic architectural function as private bedrooms in Rome and a funerary function as small burial or memorial chambers in early Christian underground complexes.