WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The vast majority of the people living in Roman cities lived in cramped apartment buildings called insulae. Insulae were generally three to five stories high and housed from 30 to 50 people. The individual apartments usually consisted of two small rooms.

Detailed explanation-2: -In Roman architecture, an insula (Latin for “island", plural insulae) was one of two things: either a kind of apartment building, or a city block.

Detailed explanation-3: -Not all patricians lived in domus, and not all plebeians lived in insulae; however, it was more likely to find a patrician in a domus, and a plebeian in an insula.

Detailed explanation-4: -Plebeian were average working citizens of Rome – farmers, bakers, builders or craftsmen – who worked hard to support their families. They could be either poor or rich, but mostly poor. They typically lived in three-or-four story apartment houses called insulae.

Detailed explanation-5: -The insulae, often consisting of six to eight apartment blocks built around a staircase and central courtyard, housed poor workers who couldn’t afford a traditional domus or house. Landlords would rent out the very bottom spots to shops, much like modern apartment buildings.