With Dr. Eireann Marshall

Never one for being modest, Nero had two palaces built for himself during his tumultuous reign. On the Palatine, not far from Augustus’ palace, Nero commissioned the Domus Transitoria, whose remnants include the Cryptoporticus, as well as parts newly opened to the public which were buried by Domitian’s palace. In the aftermath of the Great Fire of Rome, Nero seized land in order to build his indescribably opulent house in the heart of Rome. Although he was lambasted for taking away land from the Roman people, Nero hired incredible architects, Severus and Celer, to push the boundaries of architectural innovation. Not grasping the nuance of politics like his antecedent, Augustus, Nero was more interested in the arts and there is no better way of grasping his character than by examining his extraordinary Golden House.