Domitian and Rabirius

Domitian (81–96 AD) was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty. Unlike his father Vespasian and brother Titus, who had built their power on military successes — the destruction of Jerusalem, the completion of the Colosseum — Domitian grounded his in ceremonial grandeur. He wished to be called dominus et deus, lord and god, and transformed the imperial court into something far closer to an absolute monarchy of the Oriental type than to the Augustan Principate.

His architectural instrument was Rabirius, an engineer-architect of exceptional rank, probably the most innovative builder of the first century AD. The task entrusted to Rabirius was titanic: to reorganise the entire Palatine, demolishing or incorporating existing structures (including the Domus Tiberiana, Nero's Domus Transitoria, and the House of Augustus) into a palace that would express the universal sovereignty of the princeps.

Organisation of the complex

The palace spreads across the entire summit of the Palatine and comprises three major functional sectors:

The Domus Flavia (official–public wing): the ceremonial nucleus of the palace, facing the Via Sacra and the Forum.

The Domus Augustana (private wing): the emperor's apartments, on multiple levels, organised around two superimposed peristyles descending toward the southern escarpment.

The Palatine Stadium (or Hippodrome): the large elliptical garden-track on the eastern edge of the complex.

A fourth area — the so-called Severan Palace, added by Septimius Severus — extends southward on an artificial podium, visible from outside the Palatine.

The Domus Flavia: geometry of power

The core of the Domus Flavia is a system of three great halls arranged on a north–south axis:

The Aula Regia (throne room): the most imposing hall, approximately 37 metres wide and probably over 30 metres high. The walls were articulated by eight large niches containing colossal statues — probably deified emperors. The floor was in opus sectile with slabs of polychrome marble: giallo antico, pavonazzetto, red Egyptian porphyry. At the centre of the far wall stood the emperor's throne on a raised podium, visible to anyone entering. The sheer height and depth of the hall rendered every visitor infinitely small before the imperial figure.

The Tablinum (audience chamber): smaller than the Aula Regia, this was the room where the emperor received ambassadors and dignitaries in a more private context. Here too the floors were of precious marbles.

The Basilica (court of justice): the imperial tribunal, with a terminal apse. This structure directly influenced the Christian basilicas that developed in subsequent centuries.

On the garden side, the Domus Flavia also included the great Triclinium (or cenatio Iovis): the official dining hall, which with its lateral apses presented one of the largest covered spaces in the palace. The two octagonal fountains in the garden in front of the Triclinium — the so-called Nymphaea — were among the most elaborate touches in the design: water framed the ceremonial space.

The Domus Augustana: the emperor's life

If the Domus Flavia was the public stage of power, the Domus Augustana was the space of daily imperial life. Articulated on two main levels around two superimposed peristyles, it is the most complex section of the palace.

The upper peristyle: a colonnaded courtyard with a central garden, around which the emperor's private rooms opened. The peristyle walls were clad in coloured marbles; the floors were in opus sectile.

The lower peristyle: descending one floor, a second smaller courtyard with an elliptical fountain at its centre. This level was probably reserved for the family and immediate household staff.

The staircases and corridors: the palace was connected by a system of internal staircases and galleries that allowed movement without traversing public spaces.

Suetonius and Pliny the Younger record that Domitian had the walls of the corridors clad with slabs of highly polished marble (phengitis) with near-reflective properties, so that he could spot anyone approaching from behind. The princeps's paranoia — real or constructed by hostile biographers — was embodied in the very architecture of the palace.

The Palatine Stadium (Hippodrome)

Along the eastern flank of the palace, a grandiose garden in the form of a hippodrome — approximately 50 × 160 metres — was bounded by colonnades and equipped with a semicircular exedra at one end and an elliptical curve at the other.

The functions of the Stadium are debated among archaeologists: it was certainly an imperial promenade garden, but it may also have hosted private athletic or equestrian competitions. At the centre of the structure, an elliptical podium of considerable constructional complexity has been interpreted as an imperial viewing stand. On the eastern side, from the palace parapet one could look out over the Circus Maximus, for which the imperial family possessed a privileged box (pulvinar) directly connected to the palatine structures.

Materials and construction techniques

Rabirius built the palace using the most advanced construction techniques of first-century Rome:

Concrete (opus cementicium): used for the massive vaults and ceilings, it allowed spans of 30 metres without intermediate supports. The quality of the pozzolana and the mix proportions were superior to contemporary construction sites.

Brick (opus latericium): the load-bearing walls were of high-quality fired brick with uniform joints. The exposed face of the brick was generally covered by marble cladding.

Marbles: the palace consumed extraordinary quantities of marble from across the Empire. The principal types included:

  • Luni marble (Carrara): white, for statues and mouldings
  • Giallo antico (Algeria/Tunisia): columns and floors
  • Pavonazzetto (Asia Minor/Docimium): floor strips
  • Red porphyry (Egypt/Gebel Dukhan): slabs in the most important floors
  • Grey Egyptian granite (Aswan): columns of the principal halls

Vaults: Rabirius systematically used groin vaults to cover the large halls of the Domus Flavia, allowing overhead light apertures without weakening the supporting structure. This technique — also seen in the Basilica of Maxentius and the imperial baths — defines the characteristic aspect of Roman imperial architecture.

The political meaning of the palace

Domitian's palace was not merely a residence: it was a scenographic machine of imperial power. Every architectural element had a precise political significance.

The Aula Regia reproduced in stone the theory of dominus et deus: the emperor on his raised throne, visible to all, unapproachable, surrounded by statues of gods. The hall communicated the emperor's divinity before he had even spoken.

The separation of the Domus Flavia from the Domus Augustana was also an institutional separation of public from private — an invention of Domitian that all successors would maintain. Before Domitian's palace, the emperor could be reached with relative ease; after it, power enclosed itself in a system of antechambers, filters, and progressive exclusion.

The position on the Palatine allowed the palace to look down over the Roman Forum on one side and the Circus Maximus on the other: the emperor was physically at the centre of Rome's public life, yet separated from it by dozens of metres of escarpment.

What survives of the palace today

Domitian's complex is the most extensive and most legible on the Palatine, but understanding it requires imaginative reconstruction, as the surviving structures are primarily masonry platforms, foundations, and lower floor levels.

What can be seen today:

  • The foundations and lower floors of the Domus Flavia, with traces of opus sectile paving
  • The peristyles of the Domus Augustana, with elliptical basins still in situ
  • The Palatine Stadium, almost complete in plan
  • The Severan structures on the southern edge
  • The underground corridors of the palace, partly open to visitors

The upper parts — the vaulted ceilings, decorated walls, and columns — were lost over the centuries. Marble was systematically stripped away in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

How to visit the Palace of Domitian

The palace is included in the combined Colosseum–Roman Forum–Palatine ticket.

  • The main entrance is from the Roman Forum, climbing up to the Palatine
  • Information panels on site help with reading the Domus Flavia
  • The Palatine Stadium is accessible from the main route
  • Specialist guided tours offer three-dimensional readings of the palace space

The Palatine Museum holds materials from the palace excavations and is essential for understanding the original appearance of the rooms.

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The Palace of Domitian is located on the Palatine, within the combined Colosseum–Forum–Palatine ticket.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who built the Palace of Domitian? The designer was the architect Rabirius, active in the last quarter of the first century AD. The palace was built under Emperor Domitian (81–96 AD) and completed around 92 AD.

How large was the palace? The complex occupied substantially the entire summit of the Palatine, approximately 25 hectares. Individual principal halls — such as the Aula Regia — measured 30–37 metres in width, with heights probably exceeding 30 metres.

Can you still see the Aula Regia? Structural remains are visible at ground level: foundations, sections of flooring, and some perimeter walls. The original height and decoration are lost.

Why did Domitian clad the walls in reflective marble? According to Suetonius, Domitian was tormented by fear of attackers approaching from behind. The reflective surfaces of the corridors allowed him to see who was approaching without turning round. He was nonetheless assassinated in 96 AD in his bedroom.

Did all subsequent emperors live in this palace? Yes: from Nerva (96 AD) until the abandonment of the Palatine in the fifth century, all emperors resided in the complex built by Domitian, modifying and extending it but never replacing it entirely.

Article No. 49 — TIER S — MON-03 Roman Forum + Palatine Type: HISTORY Words: ~2,400

See also