Domus Aurea Ceiling (c. 64 CE)
Roman Emperor Nero didn’t let a little thing like a fire that decimated Rome and the need to rebuild infrastructure and housing stop him from creating a grand palace to honor himself. This image shows one of the mosaic ceilings uncovered in the house, still reflecting Nero’s glory back to him. He wanted it to represent the grandeur of Rome, and his reign, rebuilding Rome to reflect Hellenic Greek cities like Alexandria. And it was grand indeed, taking up 50 hectares of an already densely built city.
When the Coliseum was built over the site of the Domus Aurea, it fit in the artificial lake and was able to use its aqueduct connections. Domus Aurea had three hundred rooms, vineyards, even forests (but oddly, no latrines, bedrooms, or kitchens have been found. This indicates the Domus Aurea may have been more of an ‘event space’ than a home.
