Villa of Trajan, Arcinazzo
About
Trajan built this palatial summer residence and hunting lodge on a high wooded plateau at the very start of his reign in 98 CE, seeking cooler air than Rome offered in summer. Spread across roughly five hectares at the foot of Monte Altuino, it lies two kilometers from the Aniene river that carried water down to the capital. Excavators have recovered richly decorated rooms despite centuries of marble-robbing. It stood as the emperor's own personal estate at the exact moment this map is set, 117 CE.
What happened here
Land held in one ownership and worked as a unit, whether the owner is a senator, an emperor or a town. Day to day it is run by a manager who keeps the accounts, allots the tasks and answers for the shortfall. The workforce is mixed — slaves in gangs, tenant farmers on shares, and seasonal labour hired for the harvest and the vintage. Tenants owe a proportion of the crop and a fixed number of days' work, and the terms are posted publicly, which is how we know them. Buildings cluster: presses, granaries, a smithy, quarters, a shrine. Disputes over water and over how many days are owed go to the estate's own procurator first and to the emperor if that fails.
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 →