Domus Flavia
The Domus Flavia was a palace on the Palatine Hill in Rome built under Emperor Domitian after 80 and completed in 92 . Remains of the basilica , the aula regia , the so-called lararium and the triclinium are preserved today. The Domus Flavia, together with the Domus Augustana and the Palatine Stadium, also known as the Hippodrome , form the complex of Domitian palace buildings on the Palatine Hill.
The new building had become necessary due to a fire , not the well-known fire of Rome under Nero , but an equally devastating three-day fire in the year 80, to which both the Domus Transitoria Neros and the Domus Tiberiana fell victim. In order to gain a level surface for the extensive building project (Domus Flavia, Domus Augustana and Palatine Stadium), the depression between the two peaks of the Palatine was filled, creating the remains of some older buildings ( House of the Griffin , Isis Aula , remains of the Domus Transitoria Neros) are relatively well preserved.
The Domus Flavia mainly served representative purposes and was accordingly sumptuously furnished. The imperial living quarters were in the nearby Domus Augustana .
On the north side of the building there was a terrace on which the emperor could show himself to the population. Behind it are the basilica , the Aula Regia and the lararium . On the western side is the three-aisled basilica , which was probably used for court hearings or administrative matters. In the middle is the Aula Regia , the largest of the rooms at 30 × 39 meters. The Aula Regia was clad in marble and richly decorated, the columns were made of Phrygian marble. On the opposite side of the entrance there was an apse that housed the emperor's seat. Up until the 18th century, two colossal statues of Dionysus and Heracles made of green basalt stood in front of the entrance . The small room to the east is called the Lararium . From there one reached the Domus Augustana via a staircase .
Behind the Aula Regia there was a generous peristyle , behind it was the triclinium , the dining room with a view of the peristyle and the two elliptical fountains ( nymphaea ) on the side . Behind the triclinium , a colonnade led to two rooms with apses, in which one suspects a Greek and Latin library.
literature
- Filippo Coarelli: Rome. An archaeological guide . Zabern, Mainz 2000, ISBN 3-8053-2685-8 , pp. 167-177.
- William L. MacDonald: The architecture of the Roman Empire. Vol. 1: An introductory study. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn. 1965. pp. 73-74, 174-175.
Web links
- "The Flavian Palace: Domus Flavia, Domus Augustana, Stadium" on Roma Antiqua