Aula Palatina
About
Constantine's throne hall ran 67 meters long and 33 meters high inside, roofed in a single clear span with no columns breaking the floor. Hot air circulated under the pavement and inside the walls to warm the whole volume while the emperor received petitioners in the apse. Built about 310 CE, it postdates the 117 CE snapshot by two full centuries. The bare brick surfaces hide the fact that marble and mosaic once covered every inch.
What happened here
This is the town's indoor hall, and in winter it is where everyone goes. Court sits at one end on a raised platform, screened off with wooden partitions when the case is private. Around it, business goes on regardless — contracts witnessed, cargoes argued over, bankers at their tables, men sheltering from rain with nothing to do. The roof is carried on two storeys of columns, and the upper gallery is a good place to watch a trial without being counted as part of the crowd. Advocates are paid by reputation and perform accordingly; a good one draws an audience the way an actor does. Noise carries badly, which everyone complains about. Building one is the standard way for a rich citizen to be remembered.
Sources
Nearby
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →