Nero

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Neros Domus Aurea

• At last I can begin to live like a human being

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The Emperor Nero
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Portrait Bust of Nero from Cap. Museum

• The city burned for 9 days
• Neros Domus Aurea was built after the fire
• Historians blame Nero for the fire

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Nero
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Graffito
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Map of Rome
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The Lower Story

• Three main blocks separated by trapezoidal courts
• 150 rooms
• Water features in this part of the house

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The Lower Story
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The Upper Story

• Octagonal room
• Used for summer dining
• Baths supplied sea and sulfer water

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The Upper Story
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The Oculus
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The Domus Aurea

• Prior to the restoration
• 120 foot statue of Nero at entrance
• Grounds originally covered the area where the
  colosseum is today

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Plan of Domus Aurea
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Wall Paintings
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Wall Paintings
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Features of the Property

• Zoo
• Enormous Lake
• Giant statue of Nero

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Neros Dining Room

• Dining Room had rotating ceiling?
• Guests saw the constellations
• Scented perfume and flowers fell from the sky

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The Oculus

• Design similar to Pantheon
• Main rotunda revolved day and night
• Vault of heaven

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Ceiling Frescos

• Famous for decorations
• Painter was Famulus
• Painted only a few hours a day and in his toga

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Extravagant Style

• Vespacian destroyed part of the house
• Drained the lake and built the colosseum
• Later emperors took the art collection