Rambles in Rome: An Archæological and Historical Guide to the Museums, Galleries, Villas, Churches, and Antiquities of Rome and the CampagnaForbes, S. Russell
History
Rambles in Rome: An Archæological and Historical Guide to the Museums, Galleries, Villas, Churches, and Antiquities of Rome and the Campagna
Forbes, S. Russell
Art -- Rome; Rome (Italy) -- Guidebooks; Rome -- Antiquities
We learn from Suetonius and Tacitus that it was situated on the
western side of the Palatine, overlooking and communicating with the
Velabrum. The remains consist of vast halls and substructions, and a
row of arches supposed to have been the guard's quarters. This palace
has yet to be excavated.
THE PALACE OF CALIGULA AND HADRIAN (2).
"Having continued part of the Palatine as far as the Forum, he
converted the Temple of Castor and Pollux into the vestibule of his
house." "He built a bridge over the temple of the deified Augustus, by
which he joined the Palatine to the Capitol" (Suetonius). He connected
his palace with that of Tiberius by means of porticoes. The remains
consist of a suite of rooms, portions built over the Clivus Victoriæ,
chambers with fresco and stucco decorations, and mosaic pavements,
also a portion of the beautiful marble balustrade of the solarium.
Suetonius tells us that this palace was destroyed by fire; in fact,
most of the remains show the construction of Hadrian, who must have
rebuilt it and used it as his palace.
The remains of this palace have been recently uncovered at the
northern side of the Palatine. It appears that the palace was built in
a series of terraces against the Palatine Hill, the construction
showing work of Caligula, Trajan, and Septimius Severus. There are
some chambers which were warmed with hot air in terra-cotta pipes, and
containing fragments of statuary on the lowest level excavated. Then,
on the terrace above, there is an arcade paved with blocks of silex,
and on one side shops. A flight of travertine steps conducts to some
small chambers above, with mosaic pavements and frescoes, which were
built by Hadrian against a wall of Caligula having frescoes on yellow
and white grounds. The side walls and vaults are decorated with
frescoes of the time of Hadrian.
[Illustration: PLAN OF THE PALACE OF DOMITIAN, A.D. 81-96.
A, Tablinium.
B, Lararium.
C, Basilica.
D, Vestibule.
E, Tricliniarium.
F, Nymphæum.
G, Temple Jupiter Victor.
H, Vometarium.
K, Cubiculum.]
[Illustration: PLAN OF HOUSE OF GERMANICUS, A.D. 1]
THE PALACE OF DOMITIAN (17).
He used the remains of Augustus's palace, destroyed by fire in the
second year of the reign of Titus, filling in the chambers of the
earlier buildings with earth, so that they formed a solid foundation.
"He embellished the portico, in which he took his airing, with
polished stone, so that he might observe if any one approached him"
(Suetonius). The remains consist of the tablinium, or summer-parlour;
the lararium, or chapel of the household gods; the bed-chamber where
he was assassinated; the tricliniarium, or dining-room; the
peristylium, or open court; nymphæum, or aquarium; the vometarium;
auditorium; and the crypto-porticoes connecting it with the other
palaces.
THE BASILICA (16).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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