HOUSING IN ANCIENT ROME

In Rome, the housing available for people ranged from large apartment blocks to individual homes and estates.  The vast majority of people in the cities lived in apartment blocks that could be up to 6 stories high.  While some were well built, most apartment blocks were constructed with cheap materials.  The walls were generally very thin.  It was not uncommon for the poorly built apartment blocks to collapse.  Fires were common due to the materials used and these buildings often lacked services such as access to water.  Therefore, people were responsible for carrying water up to their own unit.  For more wealthy people, some apartment blocks were made of brick and plastered.  Unlike the cheaper made apartment blocks, these apartments had their own toilets and kitchens.

Wealthy Romans often owned a country estate as well as another home in the city.  These estate homes were often attached to farms.  Living conditions in these estates were quite comfortable and afforded the people the best that Rome had to offer.  These homes were often made of brick and plastered and were often highly decorated on the inside with paintings, carvings and mosaics.  As well, these homes often featured a garden which might contain statues, a fountain or a pool.

The very wealthy could afford to have many slaves and these slaves would act as servants within the household, helping to complete household tasks.  Often, the larger estates would have a basement in which the slaves would live and sleep.

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