Poor
Poor people lived in one or two storeyed simple flats called insulae which had at most two rooms. There were no courtyards, bathrooms, running water or kitchens. Therefore, people who lived in these flats just took that as a place to sleep. They usually visited the public baths and ate in local inns.
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Rich
Rich people lived in single-storey houses built around an open-roof central hall called an atrium. Many rooms opened up off the atrium which had a trough to collect water when it rained. In the back of the atrium was the main living room called the tablinum while on the sides were bedrooms called cubicula. The atrium led to an open garden called the peristyle with columns all around it. The peristyle was designed to be comfortable and shady so families and friends could gather there even on hot, sunny days.
The main rooms were usually nicely decorated with simple furniture, coloured plaster walls and mosaic floors. Unlike the insulae, houses of the rich Romans had their own water supply through lead pipes. The larger the pipes, the more tax would be charged and thus the wealthier the family. These houses also had central heating called hypocaust.
The main rooms were usually nicely decorated with simple furniture, coloured plaster walls and mosaic floors. Unlike the insulae, houses of the rich Romans had their own water supply through lead pipes. The larger the pipes, the more tax would be charged and thus the wealthier the family. These houses also had central heating called hypocaust.