ABSTRACT
The chapter examines why Pompeians built peristyles in their houses. It begins with the architectural functions: the peristyle provided light and air into the house and additionally guided movement inside the house. After this, the chapter moves to more specific uses of the peristyle. For example, different types of commercial or small-scale industrial applications of the peristyle space are examined. Finally, the chapter discusses the theoretical background of the socioeconomic display function. Recent scholarship has questioned the salutatio, the clients’ morning visits to their patronus’s house, in Pompeii. In addition, the division between public and private in the Roman house has been heavily criticized, and consequently these views cannot be used to justify the peristyle as one of the most important display spaces. The chapter examines and analyzes movement and the visibility of the Pompeian house, concluding that, in the end, the peristyle was one of the spaces most suitable for the house owner to represent his or her status.
