The atrium was a large airy room lighted by an opening in the roof. It was the formal room where guests were received and clients assembled to wait for their customary morning visits to their patron, but it was also a room for family occasions. On either side of the atrium were small rooms (cubicula) used for various purposes. Beyond these small rooms the atrium frequently opened out into two "wings" (alae). Cornelia has decorated these with wall paintings of cupids playing children's games, such as this early version of "hide and seek." Perhaps this is an area where her daughter and two sons played.
