History Extra Podcast — "Roman Homes: Everything You Wanted To Know"
With Dr. Hannah Paul Platz and host Emily Briffitt
October 4, 2025
Episode Overview
In this richly detailed episode, host Emily Briffitt welcomes Dr. Hannah Paul Platz, lecturer in Ancient History and Material Culture at Royal Holloway, University of London. Together, they peel back the doors to Roman domestic life, exploring not just what ancient Roman homes looked like, but how they were designed, lived in, and experienced. The discussion covers geography’s impact on architecture, the spectrum of Roman homes, family structure, the use of space and decor, ideas of privacy, and what truly constituted domestic luxury in the ancient world.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Role of Geography & Climate in Roman Architecture
Timestamps: 02:23–08:47
- Roman homes varied greatly based on the sprawling reach of the empire (from Spain and Britain to North Africa and the Near East), with climate and local materials heavily influencing design.
- In Italy, especially Rome and the Bay of Naples:
- Hot summers and scant rainfall meant houses prioritized airflow and shade.
- Features included thick stone walls for insulation, high ceilings for air circulation (especially in reception rooms), and narrow, high-set windows to let light in without bringing excessive heat.
- Houses often had an atrium with a hole (compluvium) in the ceiling and a basin (impluvium) below to collect rainwater, provide cooling through evaporation, and maximize natural light.
“If you walk in to a Roman house … you would walk into the first sort of reception room called the atrium… And it had a very, very important architectural feature within it…a hole in the ceiling…through that hole…natural light would come, lighting the house…rain would fall…and any rain that did fall…could then be stored and could be used in the rest of the workings of the house… as it evaporates, it cools the surrounding atmosphere.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [06:21]
- Orientation and seasonal rooms were common: summer dining rooms faced north to stay cool, while winter rooms faced the sun for warmth.
2. Cultural Exchange & Innovation
Timestamps: 12:00–17:38
- Roman architecture was fluid and adaptive, incorporating aspects from conquered or neighboring cultures, notably Etruscan and Greek elements.
- The development from round thatched huts to rectilinear stone homes was in part influenced by the Etruscans, including the concept of the atrium.
- The adoption of Greek peristyle (colonnaded) gardens influenced the display of leisure and aesthetics.
- Roman technological prowess is spotlighted, e.g. concrete enabled bold, vaulted, and domed spaces, shaping both public works and elite homes.
“I always think of Rome as a magpie culture, taking what it likes from elsewhere and then making it relevant to Rome.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [14:56]
3. The Spectrum of Roman Homes
Timestamps: 17:38–22:28
- Not all Romans lived in grand, multi-room homes. Excavations often prioritized elite homes (domus), but most homes ranged from modest 10-19 room spaces to single-room shops or apartments (insulae).
- In Ostia, multi-storey, multi-family apartment blocks ("insulae") could reach five or more floors (brick on lower levels, wood above), some quite comfortable and well-decorated.
“The house sizes that I found the most of for my work were between 10 to 19 rooms…others are really considerably smaller. ...What’s really interesting is...in Ostia...the dwellings...are multiple occupancy dwellings, many storey residences like our apartments today, possibly five, possibly six storeys high, maybe more.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [18:11]
- Lower-status Romans might live in shop backrooms or seek shelter wherever possible.
- Homelessness existed, with people sleeping in arches, under bridges, or even in tombs.
4. Who Lived in a Roman Home? (Family Structure)
Timestamps: 25:14–27:58
- The Latin "familia" encompassed a broader group than the modern nuclear family—immediate family, extended relations, enslaved and freed individuals.
- No concept of nuclear family as such; household size and composition varied.
- Enslaved people were considered property and part of the family unit.
“There was no specific term for what we understand the nuclear family to be…‘familia’ … could refer to the immediate family…but also…grandparents, aunts, uncles…[and] enslaved members of the household…”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [25:48]
5. Space & Functionality: Multipurpose Rooms
Timestamps: 28:12–30:41
- Most rooms were multipurpose and their function could change by time of day or who was using the space.
- Example: the atrium, for greeting guests (the salutatio—a daily session when heads of households met their clients) and for practical domestic work such as weaving, making use of the abundant natural light.
“So the likelihood is that certain times...the house would be used for weaving when the sun was at its strongest, and then other times...it would be used to meet and greet guests.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [29:18]
6. Privacy and the Roman Concept of Public vs. Private
Timestamps: 30:41–35:54
- Modern distinctions between “public” and “private” space didn’t directly apply:
- “Private” related to what was not the state's or community’s concern—not where the act took place.
- Multi-seat public toilets were a private act; formal patron-client meetings in homes were public acts despite a domestic setting.
“It’s not about a space being public or private, it’s an act that goes on within a space.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [31:43]
- Houses had doors, curtains, and partitions, providing some visual privacy, especially during times of mourning or at night. But doors were often left open, and passersby could look in.
7. Inside a Typical Roman Home: The Grand Tour
Timestamps: 35:54–40:38
- A typical domus sequence:
- Fauces: entrance hallway or porch.
- Atrium: main reception hall.
- Tablinum: central study/office, sometimes a former master bedroom.
- Cubicula: bedrooms (identified by undecoated floor areas for beds).
- Culina: kitchen, windowless and tucked away, used by enslaved workers.
- Triclinium: dining room, often sumptuously decorated, used for entertaining (sometimes with multiple dining rooms for different seasons or formalities).
- Second stories existed, though fewer survive archaeologically due to Vesuvius’ destruction.
8. Decoration, Display, and Status
Timestamps: 40:38–43:16
- Decor went beyond paint: included wall paintings, mosaics, marble or wood furniture adorned with fabrics, statuary, and lighting.
- Even modest homes aspired to ornateness for social prestige; decor was a visible sign of status.
“Even in often the small, smaller of the houses, you can get some really ornate decor…decoration in Roman housing was thinking about, yes, wall paintings and floor mosaics… but also… the furniture itself… candelabras, the lighting you might use, thinking about the sculptures…”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [41:14]
- Elite homes strove to keep up with one another in terms of splendor, leading to a trickle-down effect within society.
9. Water, Heating, and Elite Luxury
Timestamps: 44:11–46:58
- Fountains and running water were both practical and status symbols.
- Underfloor heating (hypocaust) was a rare luxury, mostly for the very wealthy; hypocausts also heated walls via flue tiles. Maintaining such systems was expensive and labor-intensive.
“To have a hypocaust system in one’s house was a big sign of wealth…It really would have taken considerable finances...”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [45:28]
- Private bathhouses, imported goods (ivory, silk, gems), and numbers/skilled nature of enslaved people were all marks of high status.
10. Would an Ancient Roman Home Appeal Today?
Timestamps: 48:56–50:58
- Dr. Platz admits she’d be eager to visit and perhaps stay in an elite Roman home—perhaps not forever, but certainly to experience the colors, architecture, and spectacle.
“I just want someone to develop a time machine so I can go back and see what it was like…I really, really, really, really would.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [49:52]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Roman resourcefulness:
“I always think of Rome as a magpie culture, taking what it likes from elsewhere and then making it relevant to Rome.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [14:56] -
On public and private life:
“It’s not about a space being public or private, it’s an act that goes on within a space.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [31:43] -
On luxury in the home:
“To have a hypocaust system in one’s house was a big sign of wealth…It really would have taken considerable finances to build a hypocaust within your house.”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [45:28] -
On the allure of living Roman-style:
“If I had to stay there for very long, I think I’d need to be living in something like an imperial palace or…one of the big houses in Pompeii…”
—Dr. Hannah Paul Platz [50:42]
Key Takeaways
- Roman homes, far from monolithic, were ingeniously adapted to climate, status, and function, with features like atria and peristyle gardens optimizing light, airflow, and comfort.
- Public/private boundaries were complex; homes could be vessels for business, spectacle, and personal acts, often simultaneously.
- Status was embedded in everything from heating, water features, decor, and even the presence and provenance of enslaved staff.
- The desire to impress—whether guests, clients, or neighbors—drove architectural and design innovation.
- While everyday comforts could be lacking by modern standards, the ingenuity, spectacle, and color of Roman housing, especially at the top end, remains deeply appealing.
This episode offers an evocative window into the reality and perceptions of domestic life in the Roman world—revealing a capacious, competitive, and ever-evolving culture of home.