Palace of Domitian
The Palace of Domitian sits atop the Palatine Hill, and was built as Domitian's imperial palace. The structure was in close proximity to the House of Augustus, which resides in the district that the Republican House of the Griffins once inhabited. Designed by the architect, Rabirius, the Palace of Domitian is a massive three-part structure. The house is separated to allow business matters and the private residences to be conducted without disruption of either. However, there is a public wing with three vaulted halls called the Domus Flavia, which faces the Forum Romanum. Of those three, two are called a basilica and an aula regia (audience hall). Domitian was able to look upon his visitors from a vault above, called an apse. This architectural detail was repeated in the Temples of Venus Genetrix and the Mars Ultor in the Fora of Caesar and Augustus.
References
- Fred S. Kleiner. A History of Roman Art. Wadsworth Publishing. 1st Edition. 2007. Chapter 13 Page 187.