The House of Caligula

Esther van Deman was important not only as one of the first female Archaeologists, but also for writing the original survey of Roman building methods, materials, and chronology. This paper addresses the location of the house of Caligula which is mentioned in literature but not readily apparent to excavators. Van Deman suggests that this house was built on the northwest corner of the Palatine into a shrine, and was restored as a sacred precinct by Claudius and later incorporated into the public buildings of Domitian and Hadrian. As always, Van Deman's work bridges the gap between archeology and literary history to provide a more nuanced view of the reign of this colorful and enigmatic emperor.