A domus was the form of house in ancient Rome and all the cities of the Empire that rich patrician families owned. (The middle classes and the poor were housed in crowded apartment blocks, the insulae.) The domus included multiple rooms, and two courtyards: the atrium, which was the focal point of the domus, off which were cubicula (bedrooms) an altar to one of the household gods, a triclinium where guests could lie on couches and eat dinner while lying down, and a tablinum (Living room, sometimes called the study) and shops on the outside, facing the street.

Roman domus

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In cities, throughout the Roman Empire wealthy homeowners lived in one story buildings with few exterior windows. This was to prevent noises coming from the streets. Wealthy homeowners often rented out the two front rooms of their home to merchants if they lived on busy streets. A wealthy Roman citizen lived in a large house separated into two parts, and linked together through the tablinum or study or by a small passageway.

The main entrance to the house would face the street, consisting of a double-door, behind which a short passageway gave into the atrium. The atrium was the most important part of the house, where guests and dependents were greeted. The atrium was high ceilinged and often consisted of sparse furnishings to give the effect of a large space. In the center of the ceiling was a square opening called the compluvium in which rainwater could come, draining inwards from the slanted tiled roof. Directly below the compluvium was the impluvium, a shallow rectangular pool to gather rainwater, which was often lined with marble, and around which usually was a floor of small mosaic.

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