The End of the Roman House

Bibliographic Data

ID4540127
AuthorsSimon P Elli, Simon Ellis (0000-0001-8061-3568, corresponding author), Simon P Ellis
Year1988
Volume92
Issue4
Pages565-576
Publication date1988-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9114 • E-ISSN: 1939-828X
PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2307/505251
OpenAlexW2316460534
LanguageEN
Citations received45

The disappearance of the Roman peristyle house marks the end of the ancient world and its way of life. No new peristyle houses were built after A. D. 550. Theories of disaster are inadequate to explain the disappearance of the Roman house. From the fourth century on, an increasing number of rich houses and public buildings were abandoned. On the other hand, the largest houses were more elaborate than before, with many specialized reception rooms. These developments are explained by a concentration of wealth and a more autocratic form of patronage. As public assemblies declined, aristocrats conducted more of their business from home. Classical culture became restricted to a narrow elite

Ancient history · Art · Autocracy · Democracy · Economic history · Economics · Economy · Elite · Political science · Politics · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical and Architectural Studies · History · Law

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