Blog 3: The Palatine Hill

Augustus' palace and Temple to Apollo 

Yesterday we saw the emperors' palaces on the Palatine Hill. Augustus was the first to live there, possibly to be near the hut of Romulus, connecting him to the founder of Rome. His palace was quite modest compared to the later emperors', which had to have additional structures built along the hill to support the growth of the palaces. There were also temples on the hill. Augustus even had the senate meet on the peak instead of at the Senate House because, rumor has it, he didn't want to walk down the hill. Stories like that make Augustus seems more like a normal person than this great emperor. It reminds us that no matter how important a person is, no matter how great their legacy is, they still get tired of walking up and down hills, just like everyone else. Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Nero, Caligula, and many other emperors continued the tradition of living there. After Constantine, though, the emperors started to move around and the capitol was wherever the emperor was, not Rome.

Hut village where Romulus' hut is supposedly 

I thought the Palatine Hill was comparable to the history of Rome. It started out with the hut of Romulus, a small, humble beginning. Then, as Rome became larger and richer, aristocrats moved there. This happened during the Republic era. Aristocrats were in charge of the senate at this time, like they were dominating the hill. Then, Augustus chose the hill for his palace. It was modest housing, just as his rule was modest, providing peace for Rome and giving to the common people. After that, the palaces grew and grew, each emperor trying to outdo the others, just like with their building projects and conquests. Then, during the decline, the hill was almost forgotten and the emperors moved away like they did from Rome. It seems fitting the hill has the same history as the empire.

Gardens from Augustus' Palace