A large reception room, or atrium, provided an entrance for entertaining where a family could display their trophies and portraits. Armor and the spoils of war became so intertwined with the status of the home that they would remain on the walls even if the house was sold to a new family. Then the structures of society changed.

Archaeologists have uncovered a tiny house in Pompeii that is filled with elaborate – and sometimes erotic – frescoes, further revealing the ornate way in which Romans decorated their homes.

Archaeologists at Pompeii have unearthed a new residence decorated with a series of frescoes including some erotic scenes. One shows a satyr embracing a naked nymph, while another depicts Phaedra who, according to Greek legend, became infatuated with her stepson Hippolytus. A third painting shows a couple who may be Venus and Adonis.

Archaeologists in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have uncovered a richly decorated but uncommonly small house with finely preserved frescoes of mythological scenes, the site said on Thursday.

The House of Phaedra appears to prove that tiny houses - those without an atrium - were as richly decorated as their grander neighbours.