ABSTRACT
This paper analyses the use made by Flavian emperors, especially Domitian, of the Palatine Hill and surrounding area. The area where Nero’s Domus Aurea had once stood was used by the Flavians as a vehicle to bring back Augustus’ memory while erasing Nero’s. A careful examination shows, however, that the boundaries between Augustus, Nero, and the Flavians on the Palatine may not have been so clear-cut. Reuse and repurposing coexisted with more public displays of condemnation, serving a different ideology each time. The result was a new house, the Domus Flavia, that would stand the test of time and become the ‘imperial palace’ we now see standing.
