Mohammed El Amine Ghoues is a 27-year-old Linguistics Ph.D. student who hails from the captivating city of Constantine in Algeria. As a young student, he became fascinated in the English language and the historic and linguistic mechanisms which made English the world language that it is today. His passion drove him to travel to the UK to further his studies at the distinguished establishment of Warnborough College. He left his mark there as an honorary student and qualified teacher. He is also an IELTS trainer. This ambitious, and spiritually-motivated young man returned to his homeland and combined his love of learning with his love of sharing knowledge, He is the founder of ‘Collopedia – learning natural English’, and is currently completing a project for the teaching modern, natural English for Middle-school classes in Algeria.
Gardens in Roman Houses: Case study in Timgad
Presented with Abdel Wahed Senhadji
The present study aims to examine the historical, architectural and artistic side of the Roman house (Domus). The various areas which constituted the Domus as a whole led to much research being carried out particularly on the garden with its two types: the pleasure garden (Peristylium) and the vegetable garden (Hortus). Since the gardens of a Domus Romanus reflected the social, economic, cultural and religious status of the proprietor owner, they are of extreme significance when trying to understand Roman society.
This article will deal mainly with the gardens of Roman houses in Timgad (city). We shall try to shed some light on their importance in houses, their architectural and artistic aspects, their situation vis-a-vis the house and the different techniques and materials used in the construction of peristyles. We will be highlighting the different styles and techniques used in creating gardens during the Roman era in Timgad, and we will look into characteristics and differences between them and other house gardens in cities of North Africa and Rome itself. Timgad was a Roman colony built specifically for veterans (Veterani) who had long service in the Third Augustus Legion. It witnessed many urban extensions during the second half of the second century and the beginning of the third century A.D., and eventually proclaimed ‘Urbs Colonia’ (Colony City). In this respect, these questions are raised: Did all houses in Timgad have gardens, or did they exist only in luxurious houses and villas? Was the total surface area of the house, which was under equal division of the then-existing land law, taken into consideration?
This study will use scientific and analytical approaches. It will initially be based on theory, but will then be tested on site when all existing prospective gardens will be analysed for comparison.
This study aims not only to highlight the garden in the Roman house as an ornamental area which allows light and air into and around the house, but to also demonstrate the philosophy behind its creation; a space for rest and relaxation, a place for family gatherings and private religious practices.
At the end of this study, we will show that not all Roman houses in Timgad did in fact have gardens. Pre-city houses were equally divided on a small surface area. Larger houses built during the urban extension of the second and third century contain one or two gardens. These ‘new’ houses all belonged to rich people (such as merchants), and can be identified due to surrounding, active commerce. It is our recommendation that this study be applied to other Roman cities in Algeria such as Djemila and Tipaza, which are a world heritage sites. It would be of historical, social and archeological interest to uncover whether the true Roman urban spirit was fully respected in the construction of all colonies in North Africa.
Keywords: Domus, Peristylium, Hortus, Timgad