The Emperor's path: Architecture, space and fruition of the Upper Peristyle of the Domus Augustana

In 92 CE, Emperor Domitian inaugurated his magnificent Palace on the Palatine hill, an architecture designed to showcase the heights of his power. One crucial question this architectural feat raises concerns the relationship between the interior and the exterior of the Palace and the various paths specifically tailored to different groups of visitors. The Upper Peristyle of the Domus Augustana represents a salient feature in this sense It is located on the highest terrace of the Palace, behind the so-called No Man’s Land, a large open space which has been identified as the Palace’s vestibulum. Although the two rooms were connected by a staircase, the elliptical front of the Peristyle could be perceived only from the inside of the Palace and is therefore unlikely to have been accessible from the outside. Still, the room’s actual function remains unclear. The present paper presents a preliminary reconstruction of the Peristyle’s architecture based on an in-depth study of the architectural fragments located in the area. While the Upper Peristyle fits into the larger series of peristyles found in the Palace, it also stands out owing to its particular form and its proximity to view points overlooking the inferior terraces and to small rooms, one of which is entirely covered in africano marble. This paper emerges from a larger study conducted as part of the research group “Decor” on the architecture of Emperor Domitian’s Palace.