Une folie de Néron | Documentaire CNRS

Summary

In 2009, an excavation in Rome on the Palatine Hill by a Franco-Italian archaeological team unearthed the remains of a remarkable building, possibly the foundation of Nero's rotating dining room. The script describes the famous Golden House of Nero, renowned for its size and splendor, and the mysterious rotating dining room that imitated the motion of the world. The discovery of a circular structure with a central pillar and traces of a water-powered mechanism suggests a complex wooden floor that turned, supported by bronze balls. The building was abandoned after Nero's death and later buried under fill to create a terrace for the Flavian Palace. The extraordinary remains were rediscovered in 2009, offering a glimpse into Nero's innovative use of technology and his penchant for exceptional architecture.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ In 2009, an archaeological dig on the Palatine Hill in Rome revealed the remains of a remarkable building that could be the foundation of Nero's rotating dining hall.
• 🏛️ Nero's palace was famous for its vastness and splendor, as described by ancient authors. However, much of it was covered by the constructions of Nero's successors.
• 🍽️ The main dining hall within Nero's palace was notable for being round and rotating continuously to mimic the movement of the world.
• 👤 Historian Suetonius mentions that there were several dining rooms in the palace, with the main one being the rotating round hall.
• 🏗️ The discovered structure from 2009 is circular, measuring 16 meters in diameter, and is surrounded by a wall more than two meters thick.
• 📏 At the center of the structure, there is a pillar 4 meters in diameter, and a series of arches that supported the floor of the upper level.
• 🔍 The absence of decoration inside the building suggests that it served as a foundation for something significant that was built on top.
• 🔨 The mechanism for the rotating floor likely involved water power, as indicated by the presence of water channels and the remains of a wheel and gears.
• 🧩 The upper part of the structure has been dismantled, leaving only traces of the mechanism and the foundation intact.
• 💡 The rotating dining hall is believed to have been a complex carpentry work topped with a marble floor, powered by a mechanism that was oiled with fine clay.
• 🏺 An ancient document, a depiction on a coin from Nero's reign, provides clues for reconstructing the appearance of the dining hall above the foundation.

Q & A

What significant archaeological discovery was made in Rome in 2009?

In 2009, an archaeological excavation in Rome led by a Franco-Italian team revealed the remains of a remarkable building that could be the foundation of Nero's rotating dining hall in the Palatine Hill.

How is the Palace of Nero described by ancient authors?

The Palace of Nero is described by ancient authors as vast and splendid, with its golden house (Domus Aurea) being particularly famous.

What was the main feature of Nero's dining hall according to historical accounts?

The main feature of Nero's dining hall was that it was a round room that rotated day and night, imitating the movement of the world.

What was the diameter of the circular plan of the discovered structure?

The circular plan of the discovered structure had a diameter of 16 meters.

What was the thickness of the wall that defined the structure?

The wall that defined the structure was more than two meters thick.

What was the diameter of the central pillar found within the structure?

The central pillar within the structure had a diameter of 4 meters.

What was the purpose of the cavities found at the top of the central pillar?

The cavities found at the top of the central pillar were likely designed to house bronze spheres, which are the ancestors of our ball bearings, suggesting the presence of a rotating mechanism.

How was the rotating floor mechanism powered according to the archaeological findings?

The rotating floor mechanism was likely powered by water, as indicated by the presence of water channels and the force of water from an aqueduct nearby.

What was the role of the fine clay found in the cavities?

The fine clay found in the cavities served as a lubricant to facilitate the movement of the rotating floor.

What happened to the upper part of the structure after Nero's death?

After Nero's death in 68 AD, the upper part of the structure, which included perishable and precious materials, was dismantled, and the metal parts of the mechanism and bronze spheres were carefully retrieved.

How was the appearance of Nero's dining hall reconstructed by archaeologists?

The appearance of Nero's dining hall was reconstructed by archaeologists by combining observations from the excavation with details from an ancient coin that depicts a similar building.