New exhibit inside Nero's Golden House - Isis and Domus Aurea

A tour of a number of the famous rooms of the Domus Aurea constructed by Nero (64-68) after the famous fire of 64. On the occasion of new restoration and exhibit of Nero's relationship with the goddess Isis, it's an opportunity to explore the Esquiline wing of the palace, including the octagonal hall and more.
0:00 Introduction
1:03 Cast of characters
1:36 Nero's tie to cult of Isis in Rome
3:55 Fire of 64 and construction of Domus Aurea
5:17 On location orientation of Domus Aurea structural elements
7:15 Esquiline wing of Domus Aurea
8:13 Octagonal Hall
9:32 Hall of Achilles in Skyros
10:18 Outer wall decoration
10:49 Crytoporticus with newly cleaned frescoes with Isis images
12:50 Images from cult of Isis from ongoing exhibit
You should purchase tickets to experience the online Isis exhibit in the Domus Aurea! www.coopculture.it/en/product...
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[@Santisaez1]

Three days ago right before finishing some vacations in Italy, I left my family at the apartment packaging, and visited by myself Domus Aurea and this exhibition, early in the morning. Just the guide and 5 visitors with me. Amazing palace and architecture, floors and paitings, multiple connections with Ancient Egypt and its Gods...200% worthed, a treasure.

[@fanroche8573]

not been to the Domus since 2005 so need to get back . so glad the flooding and collapse did not completely destroy it

[@samright4661]

It’s Amazing to think about how fast the Golden House was built!! It don’t think Modern Architects could compete with the Ancients

[@unknown81360]

Every time I watch a video of yours I want to go back to Rome.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Music to our ears! Darius is dropping a new video on the underground of the Colosseum- stay tuned on his channel!

[@juancarlostealdo]

Darius,somebody told me ,like 20 years ago ,that famous young painter Rafaello entered the ruins,watched the frescoes ,and was so impressed that his drawings were changed forever.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Yes. the paintings were copied profusely - and imitated- by many Renaissance artists. You can see them all over - Villa Farnesina, Vatican Museums, etc. They were VERY popular. Known as "grotesqui" referring to the "grotto-like" settings - the vaults were the only portions not buried...

[@chriss9198]

I was in Rome twice in June and both times the Domus Aurea was closed for putting in this exhibit. Wish we could have been there in person, but this is a great look at what we missed!

[@Mr.Death101]

I just put that together after your comment. I missed it also by 2 days. That's why this is a great channel cuz at least I can see it now

[@patwaddington]

Yeah mate I was there same time. The mausoleum of Augustus was closed too which I was pretty upset about

[@chriss9198]

@@patwaddington Domus Aurea, Domus Transitoria, Curia Julia and Mausoleum of Augustus were all closed. The Ara Pacis museum also had a network crash when we went but we got in because we had cash fortunately! Just means we have to go back to Rome! Think Mausoleum of Augustus is set to re open in 2025.

[@michaelm5894]

I I visited the Domus Aurea in 2017 and it looks like a lot of work has been done since then to enhance exhibits (there really weren't any back then) and upgrade access to the site. Then access was provisional, depending on what archeological work was going on and how safe the site was at the time. Now it looks much more like a permanent, almost museum like facility. Bravo!

[@CHAS1422]

I am nearly certain that Nero himself walked down the hall of the Criptoportico with his entourage, stopping and looking up to admire the frescos he had commissioned.

[@solinvictus39]

It certainly is an awe-inspiring feeling when you admire and look at artwork you know that people 2,000 years ago looked at as well.

[@chriss9198]

It's called the Neronian cyptoportico but I think a version of it must have existed in Caligula's time because a creator on another channel mentioned that the Cryptoportico was where Caligula was stabbed? Daryus, do you know if that is correct?

[@CHAS1422]

It makes sense that Nero completed what a prior Emperor had started. The Golden House looks to be too big to complete in such a short time.@@chriss9198

[@erminiatirelli4981]

​​@@solinvictus39Sono italiana e vivo in una città del nord dove abbiamo resti di un tempio romano, teatro e tanto altro. Come dici tu quando cammino per le strade del centro storico penso a tutte le persone romane che fecero i miei stessi passi e videro quello che vedo io. Sono i miei antenati.

[@Krommer1000]

Fantastic video! Who's ever idea it was to implement the projected running water, hats off to them. Really adds to an already fabulous exhibit. Also, kudos to you and your team for really showing the scale this complex had in it's heyday. A truly staggering monument to the ego of a single man who would claim that much space in the very center of a city as well established as Rome was at the time.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Glad you liked it! Yes, it's an engaging exhibit!

[@anthonylagano2371]

Very cool video . This exhibit wasn’t open the last time I was in Rome. I did throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain ⛲️ so I’m destined to go back and will definitely go see this . 😎😎😎

[@AncientRomeLive]

Very cool! Yes, we'll be here!

[@Breakfast_of_Champions]

Gigantic! Thank you so much for keeping us updated on the latest Roman archaeology🤗

[@AncientRomeLive]

Our pleasure!

[@johnnyboyvan]

Gorgeous. I have always loved Rome. 😊 I will visit this in a few years ftom now...God willing.

[@martinstensby2011]

Good video again, Darius! I’ll have to go and visit again. I was a participant of the long course at the Swedish Institute/Gothenburg University in the spring 2022; and had the oppurtunity to visit Domus Aurea, and it’s kind of emotional visiting there, maybe because the roofs are still existing and give you the feeling of visiting ”for real”. I’m so grateful that you show us all the good work that is done in preserving and maintaining the Roman heritage. There is more to see all the time! Thanks!

[@brober]

So much has been done to the Domus Aurea since I visited when it first reopened a decade ago. Fantastico!

[@ak9989]

Great content. Love the history. I got my two sons into ancient history, and they now collect the coins. Keep it up Darius.

[@ham472]

Amazing! On my to-visit list the next time I am in Rome 🙂

[@AncientRomeLive]

Yes a great site to visit!

[@daviddilley8310]

What a fantastic channel. I was in Rome last May and after 10 or so previous visits over 50 years I finally got into the Domus Aurea. Another member of our group, from Switzerland, also related how he had waited years for the chance to visit. Mind blowing, and the virtual reality stop, showing how it was imagined to be, is a highlight. For me, the frescoes and especially Achilles in Skyros, were especially fascinating. My next trip will be in a year or so, but in low season so I can once again just drink in the city without the distraction of so many who are "ticking off the sights" and really fail to appreciate fully what they are looking at.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thank you!!!

[@jennifersiegrist8440]

Truly amazing, those pendants are beautifully carved, pausing and zooming in, wow. Thank you for sharing ❤❤❤❤❤

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thanks for watching!

[@Bruh-lp3nd]

12:14 what I find really amazing is the fact that they made this look 3D! This is either just good observation or an advanced painting technique similar to using a vanishing point

[@edgarsnake2857]

I was just in a grand Victorian mansion the other day. The Domus Aurea is next level...and then some. I love it and hate it all at the same time. The most august architecture and exquisite handiwork, done in the service of an overindulgent tyrant. The tour was great. Thanks.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thank you

[@dirksawyer5667]

Great preview to actually visiting the site/exhibition. Just need to make sure that my next visit straddles the weekend and I don’t visit Rome midweek!

[@jan-toreegge9252]

Thanks for the update. I haven't been since 2005, and there seems to be a lot more on display these days, including this very interesting exhibit.

[@John_Fugazzi]

Thank you for this informative presentation. That Nero had some possible affinity to Isis ia a recent discovery and something entirely new. It's good to see how far the exploration of the Domus Aurea is coming. What the Romans disliked about it was not the extravagant building, but the large park with which it was surrounded. They'd never seen anything like it and thought it a waste of space.

[@austindogwalker]

Looks great. So glad its finally open for us to see.

[@AncientRomeLive]

We are happy to see it consistently open !

[@kaloarepo288]

I've watched two baroque operas about Nero in the last few months - one was the early 17th century masterpiece by Monteverdi "The Coronation of Poppaea" from Madrid and the other was "Agrippina" by Handel that debuted in Venice to great acclaim in about 1700. This second video was from the royal opera house at the Drottingholm palace near Stockholm - and the Swedish royals were in attendance. To enjoy late Renaissance and baroque operas you have to get used to the male soprano voice which is an attempt to reproduce the sound of the castrato singers of the past. "Agrippina" is about the machinations of Nero's mother in trying to get her son crowned emperor but apparently has also a kind of cryptic plot in the opera that relates to machinations in the papal elections in Handel's time.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Amazing!

[@denizalgazi]

More fantastic finds! 👍

[@jg90049]

Excellent piece. My own supposition about the Esquiline building is that it was constructed as a "winter" pavilion for dining and entertaining. It faces southwest, I believe, where the exposed rooms and promenades would catch the sunlight. It also doesn't appear to have facilities for prolonged residence nor does it appear to have quarters for servants. I think the imperial residence was elsewhere, perhaps on the Palatine. I also wonder what happened to the so called "vestibule" building at the summit of the arcades leading up from the Forum. Whatever the case, it was several decades after Nero's death that Hadrian replaced it with the Temple of Venus and Rome. There must have been some remaining part(s) of Nero's building and it must have been used for something. Unfortunately, my go-to source, The Atlas of Ancient Rome, is vague on the subject and offers little in the way of description or even supposition about what lies beneath Hadrian's temples and porticoes.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thanks very much! Yes the Esquiline was for banquets. The residence on the Palatine was replaced by Domitian’s palace. There are a few remains around the Velia, but mostly obliterated by the Temple of V and R. Some foundations along the Vis Sacra are visible (from Nero’s higher road).

[@jg90049]

@@AncientRomeLive I have read scattered references to some of Nero's successors using parts of the DA occasionally, but this was before Domitian replaced it with his palace. From what I can tell, though, the "vestibule" on the Velia just fell into disuse.

[@yang_guoer3463]

Fabulous work thanks so much to show us and explain all about Domus Aurea, very intriguing the egyptian cult in Imperial Rome and how they put on paints all their beliefs

[@ericastier1646]

One of your better videos with nice calm narrating flow and good visuals of the fresques. I love these fresques and thinking about interior decor based on this.

[@bbrown333]

This is so fascinating. Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@AncientRomeLive]

You bet!

[@davidolien2828]

Thank you once again for a wonderful presentation.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Our pleasure!

[@davecorlett7326]

Great visuals on the on-site scale of the complex!

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thanks a lot for your observations!

[@KonradAdenauerJr]

Thank you for the interesting tour of the structure.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thank you for continuing to watch our content! Check out @dariusarya for more KZbin content!

[@zou6492]

Beatiful video 👍 very interesting... Thanks Darius ! Greetings from Belgium 😉🇧🇪👋🇮🇹🏛️

[@AncientRomeLive]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching !

[@seanboudreau]

Great video, as always. Thank you for these information, high quality and well produced videos. You've become one of my favorite channels on KZbin!

[@AncientRomeLive]

Wow, thanks!

[@dbrown9495]

Thank you for this excellent video! You're an excellent teacher.

[@MBtheArtist.]

love your work, your videos, informative yet NO boring 🙌🏻👍🏻

[@AncientRomeLive]

Glad you like them!

[@CristianaCalinescu-jv3li]

Absolutely fantastic!!!! Extraordinary! Thank you!!!

[@mushymagazineonlocation7328]

What a fabulous pad. Ya got to admire the Romans.

[@cindybroders4531]

Great video!! We just had the amazing experience of going to the Domus Aurea!! I could have stayed all day!! The use of the goggles and head phones for experiencing what the palace really looked like was absolutely one of the best parts of the tour!! However, being in the actual palace of Nero was truly exciting!!

[@AncientRomeLive]

Totally agree!

[@andymartinez767]

Just so much to see, need so much time to see all this beauty.

[@BotsWeekendCovers]

Great video and btw your doppelganger is Carlos Sainz in Formula 1 :)

[@LuppoEgberts]

I visited the Domus when it was just open for public about three years ago....very impressive...would love to it now with the current exhibit. There was inside also a place where you could walk through the site with a VR device what showed how it looked like in the time of Nero...

[@AncientRomeLive]

Yes, that it still available on weekends.

[@indiasimble3002]

wonderful.thanks for the video

[@scanlonpat3433]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much!

[@AncientRomeLive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@megansfo]

What an amazing place! The cult of Isis was extremely popular and widespread 2000 years ago, and except for a blip in history we might be worshiping Isis today. Nero was a fascinating character. I lrarned a lot about him, not all bad, from two fictionalized biographies by Margaret George. Thanks, Darius!

[@AncientRomeLive]

Our pleasure. A team effort!

[@janetannerevans2320]

hmmmm Jesus Christ a "blip"?

[@AlkalineAjay]

Amazing! Thanks Darius!

[@ignacio.carral]

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing this.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kathrynschenk7432]

Wow! Thanks!

[@dojufitz]

Great Stuff.

[@randyhebbebusche3644]

Very interesting. Nice that it is being preserved.

[@ROMA--AETERNA]

Great perspective from where Darius was standing outside.

[@monicacall7532]

I’m so ready to return to Rome!!! So many places and things have been discovered since my last visit. Perhaps this autumn?

[@4cyran]

thanks 4 posting!

[@AncientRomeLive]

Our pleasure!

[@user-py7wp6nw9h]

Good stuff, sir. Good stuff

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thank you kindly

[@theedxqboi]

Someday, hopefully next year, I'll get my chance to visit Italy and see this kind of stuff. And then visit again and again!

[@vasp99]

At last I can finally live like a human being!

[@seandyer93]

Nero was clearly a philhellene he most likely got his inspiration from the luxury and opulence of the ptolemaic kings

[@timhazeltine3256]

Yes, I think Nero was much inspired by the structure and forms of the Ptolemic monarchy. After he was a descendant of Marc Anthony. And, for all its demonstrable flaws, in the ancient world, the monarchical form of government provided for generally stable succession, a process that was sorely lacking for much of the Empire's history.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Absolutely- covered in the exhibit, as well.

[@danielroque8504]

I truly enjoy your vids~Will you be doing a vid on the recent findings (that will be covered again, for the Four Seasons hotel)???

[@AncientRomeLive]

thanks!! Yes, will try to gain access. We were actually invited to press conference but couldn't make it on time!

[@tariqskanaal8187]

I was there last week it’s a good visit

[@RP-mm9ie]

Thanks

[@user-cn2xz1uy4l]

thank you very interesting more please love

[@AncientRomeLive]

More to come!

[@hangman960]

Love to visit there wasn't open last time i went to Rome

[@timhazeltine3256]

Thank you for the great presentation. I wonder if Nero's veneration of Isis is related to his status as a direct descendant of Marc Antony.

[@AncientRomeLive]

Thank you. Yes, another aspect addressed in the exhibit.

[@timhazeltine3256]

@@AncientRomeLive Thank you for the the follow-up. Your channel is illuminating, especially for those of us who have not visited Italy.

[@erinaltstadt4234]

Thank you, Nero is really interesting

[@lunes-1]

Really impressive, definitely Romans were great builders 👍

[@superdivemaster]

Buon Video !!!

[@erinaltstadt4234]

I would love to hear more about Nero

[@MMijdus]

Nero was a lunatic. Having himself portraited as a Pharao. Idiot. But thanks for this tour. The frescos and paintings are beautiful. Now I don't have to visit anymore.

[@Man_fay_the_Bru]

Thanks for the video, it gives perspective to the opulence & greed of Nero

[@AncientRomeLive]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@sharonsmith6151]

Great video Darius. Clive and I are hoping we can get in to see the exhibit when we come. Finger's crossed! One thing I was curious about is that I had been told on a tour one time that the colossal statue of Nero was next to where the Coliseum stands now, but you mentioned Arch of Titus I think. Apart from writings, which likely only list general area, is there any physical proof of where a colossal statue may have been situated?

[@AncientRomeLive]

Statue stood originally atop the Velia. Moved by Hadrian to make room for the Temple of Venus and Roma. The base of the Colossus was found - and has a modern encasing of the area- next to the Colosseum. (See our Colosseum videos).

[@patwaddington]

I was in Rome last month for a trip and this was closed. I was so gutted. Ah well I’ll just have to plan another trip haha

[@floydiandreamscapes5145]

Rome must have been a beautiful city. Imagine being a Roman living at that time wandering through the city streets. To bad we don't build cities today that are made to be beautiful to look at.

[@jond181]

It prob smelled like 💩, overcrowded, no AC, etc. Sure, if you’re the emperor or wealthy senator I’m sure it was nice. Otherwise…

[@thomasmedlin1908]

Brilliant Engineers

[@brendanryan6740]

i adore nero....he is the true rock and roller

[@TWOCOWS1]

Excellent work again. Thanks for making and posting. Wonderful. Thank you. I was there twice, and everybody spoke of how much of the Domus was "buried" and other buildings built on top of them. How? That makes no sense since the Domos is so tall, hugely tall. Pls explain with maps and photos how was that done. Thanks.

[@AncientRomeLive]

You're very welcome. Many of the rooms of the Domus Aurea remain filled to the ceiling with dirt and abandoned material from workers employed to construct the Baths of Trajan above. Many additional supportive walls were installed. You can see some filled-in rooms in the video, as well as the Trajanic walls (that don't have any frescoes on them)- esp. visible at the "entrance ramp" into the Domus Aurea.

[@TWOCOWS1]

@@AncientRomeLive Thank you for all that. I had heard these, but still it does not make sense. As Darius says, the roof of the buildings are 10 meters or more. Filing in the building with dirt without compacting it (and destroying what is below) could hardly support the weight of the bath house above, at least 10 meters high in the sky above. I still cannot imagine that. Could you one day make some three denominational sketch, pls? It is like the tour guides in the Domus kept saying that that entire building was for pleasure only and not for habitation. Reason: no kitchens and no toilets! When I asked (from few of them), what kind of pleasure could be had without hot food and the ability to visit the letrines after all the food and drinks, the would illogically say: "Food was brouight in (why?) and people did it in the chamber pots (why again?)! So there: cliches of the old lingering, despite their inconsistencies.

[@havefunbesafe]

Darius, do you have Persian ancestry ? Love your content btw!!

[@erinaltstadt4234]

I would love to learn more about the golden dome, Nero, the cult of Isis, and Nero’s architecture in general

[@SJam491]

Fascinating. I still feel bad for Poppea, though.

[@The-NightWatchman]

This gives an insightful look into what the Apostle Paul was dealing with, the idolatry and corruption of Roman rule of that era, it brings the scriptures into better perspective.

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

Argh! When we were in Rome in 2013, it was still not accessible - and back then sounded like it likely never would be, except to professionals with permits (i.e. historians or archaeologists). I wanted to visit the site so badly! 😭

[@stephanielitton2929]

Isis's Hubby however, doesn't seem to be mentioned...Heh! I guess she was a widow....for a time. A lot of missing pieces here.....there was a piece Isis never found also. Seriously beautiful things here. To have seen them in all their glory .....just..Wow!

[@motoguzzigriso]

Last September we stayed in an apartment that now sits abeam the Pantheon, basically the Saepta Julia. We could gaze down on the Temple of Neptune from our balcony. Nearby is the incredible Catholic Church “Santa Maria sopra Minerva” which sits on top of (sopra) the ancient Temple of Minerva! What an incredible part of town.

[@susanarojo3906]

If that was a rentable place could you give some data?

[@helenalago1320]

Hello. Do you know what is the official ticket seller for Nero´s Golden House?

[@marthaarya167]

I want to go there again

[@David-sk9vv]

I wrote an assignment on this at University - University of Wales, Lampeter (now University of Wales, Trinity St David, Lampeter Campus). My Lecturer gave me a 1st! 😁

[@watermelonlover745]

Its amazing to visit this as a Christian and know we won

[@rwoggle1735]

What do you have against the past tense?

[@neon-kitty]

Does anyone know where I could find close-ups of the landscape panels from the cryptoportico?

[@susanarojo3906]

Sometimes you can find incredible things in google

[@TheJesster711]

I am confused by you saying the colossal statue of Nero stood where the Arch of Titus is now. But the statue stood for centuries after Titus.

[@AncientRomeLive]

The Colossus was moved by Hadrian down to its location by the Colosseum.

[@johnbender5356]

how would they have the light to see all of this. to my thinking , fire would have soot blacken the ceilings ans walls.

[@MrCarGuy]

It would be nice to light some rooms the way they were meant to be originally

[@wlperie]

I thought the Colossus of Nero was closer to the Arch of Constantine rather than the Arch of Titus? What is the history here?

[@hangman960]

Any idea how long it took to complete when it was built? is there any record of that?

[@AncientRomeLive]

Yes, dates are 64-68.. Evidence of further building under Flavians, through ultimately cancelled by time of Domitian...

[@snotnosewilly99]

@@AncientRomeLive Amazing that this entire complex could have been built in such a short time with just hand tools, as with many other big structures in the roman empire.

[@ilgiusto6885]

Leggere tutti questi commenti entusiastici sulla antica Roma è per me un po' imbarazzante....Abito a 600 km da Roma e ci sono stato poche volte solo per andare a trovare la mia fidanzata, bene praticamente non ho visitato nessun monumento celebre , Colosseo compreso.... Grazie per questi video così interessanti !

[@AncientRomeLive]

Grazie!

[@Gunslinger1875]

What I fascinating is in this modern world we can't build anything like this, much less have it survive for a few thousand years. That the Roman's just filled it with rumble and built on top of it. Like, taking out the trash.

[@luisalbertozambon3853]

How long this exhibition will be opened for?

[@AncientRomeLive]

Check the website link in the description of the video

[@solinvictus39]

Darius, I have a question for you- were the rooms of the Domus Aurea backfilled during the construction process of the baths above, or did they fill up with debris over the centuries? I suspect that when building the baths the rooms below were backfilled then, but I may be wrong. I know the Romans certainly had the ability to build a structural framework for the baths without actually filling in the spaces below them. Another question- why didn't the Romans just knock the Domus Aurea down and reuse the construction materials instead of building on top of it?

[@ezzovonachalm9815]

solinvictus Not the Romans, nor the Barbarians, but the roman popes and the brave roman people have destroyed Rome, melting the bronze statues and all what was fixed with bronze.They dissolved the marble statues to make calcina, and used the stones for their own constructions, buying their palaces on a roman theater or transforming roman palaces into their strongholds with towers and bastions. For more informations read Ferdinand Gregorovius.History of the city of Rome during medieval times.

[@AncientRomeLive]

They filled in the rooms to sustain the massive Baths of Trajan (terrace portion) built on top. (They first stripped out the marble pavement and most of the statuary.. frescoes were left in place!)

[@solinvictus39]

@@AncientRomeLive Thank you for the response! Keep up the great work👍

[@r0ky_M]

So how many actual rooms of Nero's palace has archeology discovered?

[@AncientRomeLive]

Over 150 for the Esquiline wing.

[@r0ky_M]

@@AncientRomeLive Wow..ok so are many of these room relatively intact/original/well preserved , or have they been stripped out over the ages ?..if well preserved from the actual time of Nero. then it's a true rare archeological goldmine like Pompeii and Herculaneum.

[@alanCalhoun2]

How Nice Nero made himself Egyptian and a Worship of Isis. Where is the Crown and Sun Disk adorned by Isis?

[@clivebaxter6354]

why is a tour only just over an hour? looks like 2 hours minimum

[@AncientRomeLive]

The exhibit has that standard policy; small groups, at any rate. There is another longer tour with the VR googles.

[@clivebaxter6354]

@@AncientRomeLive Cant see a tour longer than 1 hour 15 minutes on the coopculture booking site, thats weekends