THE DWELLING HOUSE 



The Greek house, with its double-court construc- 

 tion, is a familiar type of dwelling. On entering his 

 house from the street, the Greek found himself in a 

 vestibule from which he gained a vista of the colon- 

 naded apartment of the men. To the right and left 

 were doors opening into pantries and servants' apart- 1 

 ments. Crossing the vestibule he entered a square! 

 or oblong court, opening to the sky, and surrounded 

 by apartments libraries, art-galleries, dining-halls, 

 bed-rooms, etc. The plan reminds one of a steamer's 

 cabin surrounded by staterooms. At the rear of the 

 court, to the right, a staircase led to the second story, 

 similarly designed, but only partially spanning the 

 ground floor. Through a second vestibule he entered 

 a second court, opening out in the same manner into 

 apartments on each side. At its rear lay a garden on 

 which the most elegant of the guest-rooms faced. 

 This inner court was formerly supposed to have been 

 exclusively the house of the women, not unlike the 

 Oriental harem, but recent investigation has estab- 

 lished the belief that it was the place of the family life. 



The Roman house also passed through the same 

 stages as that of other countries. There was the hut; 

 and instead of the inverted boat the parallelogram 

 with the flat roof used as a garden and pleasure ground ; 

 the house of many courts, which grew into a very 

 forest of columns and arcades; an enchanted land 

 of line and color with carvings, paintings, mosaics, 

 entablatures, gildings, terra-cottas, and fountains. 



The difference between the country and the city 

 house which now exists has always existed in some 



