#CLST6 #LookCloser10 Before we were all trapped in our housees, I was lucky enough to visit the excavation of the Domus Aurea

It serves as a perfect example of the complexity of stratigraphy, a massive building covered by projects of later emperors

Nero's construction of the Domus Aurea outraged the Roman citizenry. Previous emperors had magnificent villas, but they were confined to the country or the seaside

The huge Domus Aurea, on the other hand, was situated in the heart of Rome (1)

My favorite area in the Domus Aurea was the so-called Octagonal Room. This dome had a skylight illuminated the room in special ways during the equinoxes & April 21st, the foundation of Rome

Nero being closely associated with the sun, this demonstrated his "solar kingship" (2)

While the excavation still is not complete, computer simulations show the accuracy with which the room was constructed

Designing & building such a room demonstrates the astronomical, mathematical & construction prowess of the Romans (3)

I hope I can return to the Domus Aurea someday to witness however much it is restored to its prominence

Citations
1. Kleiner, Fred. A History of Roman Art. pp. 146
2. Hannah et al. Kingship and the Architecture of the Domus Aurea. pp. 512
3. Hannah. pp. 516-519

Image: Kleiner. pp. 147