Nero and his Domus Aurea

When visiting Rome, one of the most unfortunate things a history-lover has to confront is that the remains of the Domus Aurea are not currently open to the public. Closed for safety reasons, visitors intent on seeing the evidence of Emperor Nero's narcissism have to be content visiting the area around the Colosseum and knowing that beneath that area of the city are the empty rooms of a Golden House. The allure of visiting the Domus Aurea stems from the controversies and scandals that characterize the ancient descriptions of Nero, not necessarily the beauty of the remains. The main source we have on the unabashedly cruel emperor is Suetonius' The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Getting to Rome during the reign of Domitian and forming a friendship with the statesman Pliny the Younger, Suetonius likely wrote The Lives of the Twelve Caesars during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian. Although very familiar with the imperial archives, Suetonius, as well as other ancient Roman authors, must be read today with the understanding that works of history were not always entirely fact-based. Suetonius' account of the personal lives of the caesars, including Nero, may include elements of exaggeration, whether to assert his argument or entertain readers. Regardless of his purpose, Suetonius' telling of the life of Nero is incredibly entertaining, wrought with drama. Nero is alleged to have poisoned his step-brother, Britannicus; ordered the murder of his mother, Agrippina; castrated and married a man; molested a Vestal Virgin; and kicked his pregnant wife to death. Among the many scandalous events in Nero's life, one of most enduring stories is that of the fire of 64 AD and the subsequent construction of the Domus Aurea. 

The grounds of the Domus Aurea extended over the Esquiline, Palatine, and Celian hills

In 64 AD, a fire burned and wiped away most of what was the city center of Rome, mostly the residences of Rome's affluent. One of the most famous and prolific rumors is that Nero himself started the fire, and that he played the lyre and sang about the destruction of Troy as the city burned. Whether or not it is true, what followed was certainly fact. On the site of the fire, Nero ordered the construction of what would be the most extravagant and short-lived palaces- the Domus Aurea. Using public money obtained through taxation and the labor of prisoners imported to the city from all over the empire, the Domus Aurea, featured a palace with frescoed rooms, a bath complex fed with both sea water and sulfurous water, ceilings rigged to drop flowers and emit perfumes, walls laid with gold and precious gemstones, a vestibule containing a colossal statue of Nero, and a unique circular dining hall. 

The rotunda: the octagonal dining hall

The dining hall has remained one of the most interesting rooms to historians. Translation of Suetonius reveals that the ceiling or room may have rotated to mimic the movement of the night sky, although Suetonius does not describe the mechanics of how it operated. 

The grounds of the palace were equally impressive. The sprawling estate boasted a swimming pool lined with columns; a man-made lake, with shores dotted with mock cities and villages; lavish gardens; and pastures and woods, home to various imported wild and domestic animals. According to Suetonius, Nero envisioned a waterway large enough for ships to pass each other comfortably. The lake was the site of debauched parties hosted on barges, while a party in the gardens was once rumored to be lit by human torches during Nero's persecution of Christians. Stories of Nero's sexual perversions, scandalous parties, narcissism, and cruel avarice lend to the mysticism and allure of the Domus Aurea.

There is a great exhibit about the Domus Aurea in the Colosseum

Nero did not enjoy the splendor of his palace for very long. He committed suicide in 68 AD amidst the growing pressures of ruling an empire, including rebellions in Gaul and Hispania. His death spelled civil war in which multiple usurpers vied for the position of emperor. Following the Year of the Four Emperors, the Flavian dynasty began with the rule of Vespasian. In order to bury the memory of Nero's cruel and excessive reign, Vespasian drained the lake of the Domus Aurea and began the construction of the Flavian Amphitheater, later called the Colosseum. Seen from the Colosseum, the Temple of Venus and Rome stands on top of the site of the vestibule that once housed the statue of Nero. The statue was moved and briefly stood next to the Flavian Amphitheater, perhaps inspiring the name "Colosseum". The tunnel built by Nero to connect his Domus Aurea to the palaces of old emperors on Palatine Hill remains; the cryptoporticus is open to the public and leads sight-seers from the Roman Forum to the Palatine Hill ruins. The west wing of the immense Domus Aurea, including the excavated dining room, lie beneath the Baths of Trajan on the Oppian hill next to the Colosseum. Although the actual rooms of the wing cannot be viewed, the grandeur of the Domus Aurea is palpable when walking the grounds of the unfortunate and delusional Nero.

Cryptoporticus

Temple of Venus and Rome stands on the Domus Aurea's vestibule

House of the Vestal Virgins

Statues of Vestals lining the courtyard, ~3rd century AD

One of the most impressive areas of what remains of the Roman Forum is the House of the Vestal Virgins. The Vestals were highly-respected priestesses whose priority was to honor Vesta, goddess of the hearth, home, and family. Chosen from a lottery of the wealthiest Roman families, Vestals were between 6 and 10 years old when they joined the college. Becoming a Vestal was a 30-year commitment; the first ten years were spent training, the next ten were spent performing their many duties, and the last ten years were spent training their replacements. Throughout Rome's territory, Vestals were charged with tending a sacred fire in the Temples of Vesta. They also prepared ceremonial cakes, kept wills and public records, and participated in certain ceremonies, such as the Vestalia.  Following their retirement, they were free to marry and have children. Often, they were arranged to marry Roman nobles by the pontifex maximus. Not all retired Vestals got married and they enjoyed considerable benefits. Unlike other Roman women, they were not under the authority of their fathers and experience considerable social freedom. They were the only women allowed to own property and have wills. Vestals were considered sacred and harming one was cause for execution; shedding the blood of a Vestal was thought to be punishable by the gods. They were awarded the best seating at public events and traveled in carriages and lictors.

The courtyard and remains of the House of the Vestal Virgins

Once a Vestal was chosen, she was ceremonially led away from her parents by the pontifices. She took up residence in the House of the Vestal Virgins. There were 18 women and girls in the College of Vestal Virgins, with only the six most experienced women actually considered Vestal Virgins. The remaining members were novices and junior priestesses.

Of the House of Vestal Virgins, the courtyard and pond remains, as well as the shell of the former residence. Originally, the building was three stories and had around fifty rooms. There is also evidence of a mill in the House.

Statue of a senior Vestal in the courtyard

As luxurious and blessed the life of a Vestal Virgin was, there were equally severe consequences for not upholding their duties. If the sacred fire of Vesta was extinguished, the Vestal in charge of tending it would be beaten. The most severe penalty was reserved for Vestals who committed incestum, or breaking their religious vow of chastity. Although extremely rare, if a Vestal was charged with incestum, she was buried alive outside the walls of Rome, as to execute her without spilling her blood. She was given light and a few provisions in order to keep her alive long enough to contemplate her sins. Her lover was executed publicly in Rome. There are several stories of Vestals being accused and acquitted, or falsely charged, of incestum for political reasons. An acquittal usually followed a trial by ordeal, as in the case of the Vestal who carried water in a sieve to prove her chastity.

Another cause for scandal among the Vestals was conversion to Christianity. One of the statues in the courtyard of the House of the Vestal Virgins has had the name plate defaced. It may be that this statue represented a Vestal who reportedly denounced her religious order and converted to Christianity. The cult of Vesta existed until 394 AD, following Emperor Theodosius I's far-reaching persecution of paganism, which included further banning sacrifices and pagan festivals (he also banned the ancient Olympics in Greece, not to be resurrected until 1896), destroying temples and altars, and extinguishing the sacred fires at the Temples of Vesta.