Insulae, Ancient Slums

Name: Insulae, Ancient Slums
Uploaded: 2014-09-08T10:00:02.000Z
Duration: 2 min 23 s
Description: In ancient Rome, insulae were shoddy apartment buildings built for the urban poor, often with 6 or 7 units inside each three story structure. What were they made of, and how many were there in Rome?

Housing in Ancient Rome

Overview of Population and Housing

At its peak during the 3rd Century AD, Rome had an estimated population of over a million people, despite being only about 8 square miles in size.

To accommodate this large population, many apartment blocks known as insuli were constructed. These buildings were several stories tall and made from flammable materials such as wood, mud brick, and concrete.

Each insula could contain up to six or seven apartments referred to as kakula, indicating the cramped living conditions for the poorer citizens.

Etymology and Structure of Insuli

The term insula comes from Latin meaning "island," which reflects how these apartment buildings were often isolated structures with clear spaces between them.

The prevalence of insuli indicates that there were likely around 15,000 or more such buildings in Rome, primarily serving as housing for the poor.

Video description

In ancient Rome, insulae were shoddy apartment buildings built for the urban poor, often with 6 or 7 units inside each three story structure. What were they made of, and how many were there in Rome?