In his description of Babylon, Ilerodotus speaks of houses being ranged on either side of the various streets into which the city was divided, and of others of a smaller character, on either side of the outer wall, so placed as to allow of a wide passage or roadway between the two ranges. The former are described as consisting of three or four stories, and the latter of only one story.
It' we may form a judgment from the paintings of the ancient Egyptians, their domestic buildings were of very uniform character. Some houses were two or three stories in height, and these seem to have belonged to the more com mon sort, but the larger mansions were only of one story, but of considerable extent in plan. They consisted of one or more rectangular courts surrounded by chambers similar to the existing specimens of Roman construction ; or sometimes a group of building was placed in the centre of such a court. The roofs, as in all Eastern buildings, were flat, and probably covered with an awning, as a protection from the heat.
According to Pliny, the Greeks originally dwelt in caves, and were taught the art of house-building by two brothers, Euryalus and Hyperbius, who were Tyrrhenians, from which nation buildings of all kinds are said to have been introduced into Greece. During their early history, up to the time of Aristides and Pericles, their dwellings were of a very simple description, nor did they arrive at any magnificence until the time of Alexander, when they had given themselves over to a luxurious mode of living. At this period their dwellings became of great extent, and were very highly embellished, being similar in form and arrangement to those of the IZomans,—of which in all probability they afforded the idea— but tar inferior to them in extent and magnificence. Ere, however, the Romans had become thus extravagant in the adornment of their villas, they had passed through the same stages as their predecessors, and it was not until by their conquests they had become acquainted with the luxury of Asia and Greece, that they began to erect sueh splendid mansions. The villa of Alarcus Cato, we are told, was so rude, that the walls were not even plastered ; nor did that of Scipio Africanus, or the Villa Publiea, greatly excel in richness of decoration. The first houses of the Romans were nothing better than simple cottages thatched with straw; and when the city was rebuilt after it was burned by the Gauls, the houses were mostly constructed of wood and covered with shingles, although of so great la height as to become danger ous. This was the case, ei en in the reign of Augustus.
The greater part of the city was again destroyed by fire in the time of Nero, and was rebuilt in a more substantial and elegant manner ; but we can form only a remote idea of the houses, having no examples remaining.
The country seats or villas were the dwellings on which the higher classes expended the greatest care, and a full description of these will be found in Pliny's Letters, which we proceed to give, hut, before doing so, insert some remarks and directions on the subject by Vitruvins.
Of the private and public Apartments of Houses, and of their Construction according to the different Ranks of People; from V t vitt s.) "These buildings being disposed to the proper aspects of the heavens, then the distribution of such places in private houses as are appropriated to the use of the master of the house, and those which are common for strangers, must he also considered : for into those that are thus appropriated, 110 one can enter unless invited ; such as the cubiculnm, the triclinium, the bath, and others of similar use. The common are those which the people unasked may legally enter ; such are time vestibulum, cavmdium, peristylium, and those that may answer time same purposes : but to persons of the com mon rank, the magnificent vestibulum, tablinum, or atrium, are not necessary, because such persons pay their court to those who are courted by others.
"People who deal in the produce of the country must have stalls and shops in their vestibules, and eryptme, horre:e, and apothecm, in their houses, which should be constructed in such a manner as may best preserve their goods rather than be elegant. The houses of hankers, and public offices, should be more commodious and handsome, and made secure from robbers; those of advocates and the learned, elegant and spacious, for the reception of company ; but those of the nobles, who bear the honours of magiitracy, and decide the affitirs of the citizens, should have a princely vestibuinm, lofty atrium, and ample peristylium, with groves and exten sive ambulatories,ereeted in a majestiestyle; besides libraries, pinaeotheeas, and basilicas, decorated in a manner similar to the magnificence of public buildings; for in these places, both public afilmirs and private causes are oftentimes determined. Houses therefore being thus adapted to the various degrees of people, according to the rules of decor, explained in the first book, will not be liable to censure, and will be con venient and suitable to all purposes. These rules also are applicable, not only to city houses, but likewise to those of the country ; except that in those of the city the atrium is usually near the gate, whereas in the country pseudo-urbana, the peristylium is the first, and then the atrium ; having a paved portieus around, looking to the palestra and ambulatories.