Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Tablinum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

TABLI'NUM and TABULI'NUM. One of the principal apartments in a Roman house, immediately adjoining the atrium and fauces (Festus, s. v. Vitruv. vi. 3. 5. and 6.), which was used in early times to contain the family archives (Plin. H. N. xxxv. 2.), and as an eating-room in a town-house. (Varro, de Vit. P. R. ap. Non. p. 83.) In most of the houses at Pompeii, there is observed an apartment situated between the atrium and peristylium, with two narrow corridors (fauces) on each of its flanks; the relative position of which is shown on the plan of the house of Pansa, at p. 248., where it is marked D; and an interior elevation of a similar apartment, in the house of the Dioscuri, is exhibited by the annexed illustration (Tablinum/1.1). The part immediately in front of the drawing is the floor of the atrium, with a portion of its impluvium; the dark and open recess occupying the left half of the middle ground is the tablinum, with the colonnade of the peristylium showing through; and the small door on the right of it is the faux, which also opens upon the peristyle at its further extremity. It will be observed that this apartment is entirely open at both ends, so as to permit a continuous view through the two principal divisions of the house; but these ends were closed, when desired, by moveable screens or partitions of wood (tabulae), as is evident from there being a separate passage at the side, for the purpose of affording communication between the atrium and peristyle, which would not be required if the tablinum permitted a thoroughfare always through it. The name will thus be derived from tabula; probably in allusion to the partition with which it was closed, as Varro seems to insinuate (l. c.); though Pliny and Festus (ll. cc.) suggest another motive, viz. the registers and archives (tabulae rationum) deposited in it.

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  Tablinum/1.1