(_See plan, page 81_)
called erroneously by various authorities the House of Claudius Nero,
of Livia, of Augustus. It was incorporated into the Imperial Palace by
Tiberius, though for very many years it preserved its distinctive
title. Josephus tells us that "Caligula was killed in a private narrow
passage within the palace as he was going to the bath, having turned
from the direct road along which his servants had gone. The passages
also were narrow wherein the work was done, and crowded with Caius's
attendants, whence it was that they went by other ways, and came to
the house of Germanicus, which house adjoined to the palace." A
crypto-portico still connects this house with the Palace of Caligula,
another going off at right angles to the House of Augustus.
We have here a good specimen of a Roman house. In the vestibulum are
remains of the mosaic floor and frescoed walls. The atrium still shows
the pattern of its pavement. The tricliniarium is ornamented with
frescoes of arabesque work, animals and fountains, also with mosaic
pavement. The tablinium, in three parallel halls, painted with
beautiful arabesque groups; wreaths of flowers and fruit; a group of
Galatea and Polyhymnia; another of Mercury, Io, and Argus; a view of a
Roman house; a lady at her toilet, &c. Behind these is the
peristylium, out of which open the bedrooms, bath, kitchen, &c. In the
centre tablinium are some leaden pipes, found in the excavations,
stamped with the names of Julia, Domitian, and Niger,--the daughter of
Augustus, the emperor, and the insurgent.