Nero's Rotating Dining Hall Discovered

Posted by Johnny Cat in Architecture, Everything Else on October 13, 2009 at 4:34 pm

neros-palace-article121698606a3adc2000005dc201306x463_1Back in 1st century A.D. (or C.E., if it pleases you), the Romans were really starting to crank things up.  Things like debauchery, poisoning of rivals, fratricide…basically setting the stage for their own eventual downfall.

Of the many Emperors who ruled over this lifestyle, Nero stands out as one of the nastiest.  But you gotta give the guy points for trying to throw a serious bash.  At the time of his rule, a Roman historian named Suetonius chronicled everything, including the construction of a dining room that rotated.

Now, archeologists think they may have finally discovered this room, which was filled in and built-over in 80A.D.

Quite how the rotating dining room worked is still a bit of a mystery; some think it was by the motion of canals under the room and others think it more likely that it was manually cranked by slaves but hopefully the new funding will enable the archaeologists to confirm one way or the other.

In addition to the rotating floor, the opulent room featured fretted ivory ceilings which would pour flower petals and perfume down on Nero’s guests.  Jackie118 has more fascinating history of Nero’s Rome at the link!

Link | Image: Daily Mail

 
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January Used to Be #11

Posted by Queuebot in Everything Else on January 13, 2009 at 1:25 pm

The month of January, named for the two-headed Roman god Janus, originally appeared towards the end of the calendar year, along with the equally dark and boing February, the last month of the year.

Then power brokers in Rome decided it would be more politically advantageous to inaugurate their new consuls in January, two months before the country typically went off to wage war in March, named for the Mars, the god of war.  The rest is history.

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