InfoCoBuild

HSAR 252: Roman Architecture

Lecture 11 - Notorious Nero and His Amazing Architectural Legacy. Professor Kleiner features the architecture of Augustus' successors, the Julio-Claudian emperors, whose dynasty lasted half a century (A.D. 14-68). She first presents Tiberius' magnificent Villa Jovis on the Island of Capri and an underground basilica in Rome used by members of a secret Neo-Pythagorean cult. She then turns to the eccentric architecture of Claudius, a return to masonry building techniques and a unique combination of finished and unfinished, or rusticated, elements. Finally, Professor Kleiner highlights the luxurious architecture of the infamous Nero, especially his Domus Aurea or Golden House and its octagonal room, one of the most important rooms in the history of Roman architecture. The construction of the Domus Aurea accelerates the shift in Roman building practice toward a dematerialized architecture that fully utilizes recent innovations in concrete technology and emphasizes interior space over solid form. (from oyc.yale.edu)

Lecture 11 - Notorious Nero and His Amazing Architectural Legacy

Time Lecture Chapters
[00:00:00] 1. Tiberius and the Villa Jovis on Capri
[00:16:58] 2. Caligula and the Underground Basilica in Rome
[00:29:23] 3. Claudius and the Harbor at Portus
[00:39:59] 4. Claudius' Porta Maggiore in Rome
[00:47:33] 5. Nero and the Domus Transitoria in Rome
[01:01:24] 6. The Golden House of Nero and the Octagonal Room

References
Lecture 11 - Notorious Nero and His Amazing Architectural Legacy
Instructor: Professor Diana E. E. Kleiner. Resources: Lecture 11 - List of Monuments and Credits [PDF]. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov].

Go to the Course Home or watch other lectures:

Lecture 01 - Introduction to Roman Architecture
Lecture 02 - It Takes a City: The Founding of Rome and the Beginnings of Urbanism in Italy
Lecture 03 - Technology and Revolution in Roman Architecture
Lecture 04 - Civic Life Interrupted: Nightmare and Destiny on August 24, A.D. 79
Lecture 05 - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Houses and Villas at Pompeii
Lecture 06 - Habitats at Herculaneum and Early Roman Interior Decoration
Lecture 07 - Gilding the Lily: Painting Palaces and Villas in the First Century A.D.
Lecture 08 - Exploring Special Subjects on Pompeian Walls
Lecture 09 - From Brick to Marble: Augustus Assembles Rome
Lecture 10 - Accessing Afterlife: Tombs of Roman Aristocrats, Freedmen, and Slaves
Lecture 11 - Notorious Nero and His Amazing Architectural Legacy
Lecture 12 - The Creation of an Icon: The Colosseum and Contemporary Architecture in Rome
Lecture 13 - The Prince and the Palace: Human Made Divine on the Palatine Hill
Lecture 14 - The Mother of All Forums: Civic Architecture in Rome under Trajan
Lecture 15 - Rome and a Villa: Hadrian's Pantheon and Tivoli Retreat
Lecture 16 - The Roman Way of Life and Death at Ostia, the Port of Rome
Lecture 17 - Bigger Is Better: The Baths of Caracalla and Other Second- and Third-Century Buildings in Rome
Lecture 18 - Hometown Boy: Honoring an Emperor's Roots in Roman North Africa
Lecture 19 - Baroque Extravaganzas: Rock Tombs, Fountains, and Sanctuaries in Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya
Lecture 20 - Roman Wine in Greek Bottles: The Rebirth of Athens
Lecture 21 - Making Mini Romes on the Western Frontier
Lecture 22 - Rome Redux: The Tetrarchic Renaissance
Lecture 23 - Rome of Constantine and a New Rome
Paper Topics: Discovering the Roman Provinces and Designing a Roman City