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Villa of Augustus

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Coordinates: 40°52′33″N 14°25′27″E / 40.87583°N 14.42417°E / 40.87583; 14.42417
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Villa of Augustus
The latter villa, constructed after 79 AD
LocationSomma Vesuviana
Coordinates40°52′33″N 14°25′27″E / 40.87583°N 14.42417°E / 40.87583; 14.42417
TypeVilla

The Villa of Augustus (Latin: Villa Augustae) is a villa in Somma Vesuviana that was owned by Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. Literary sources detailed the villa as the site where Augustus died.

In April 2024, archaeologists from the University of Tokyo claimed to have discovered the villa after excavations on its purported location that started in 2002.

Background

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Near the end of his life, Augustus traveled to his villa in modern-day Nola. According to Tacitus and Suetonius, Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD, in the villa,[1] with Suetonius claiming he died in the same room in which his father had died.[2] Following Augustus's death at the villa, his body was carried on a procession from Nola.[3]

Excavation history

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There have been multiple villas at the site of the Villa of Augustus. The latter villa was first rediscovered in the 1890s during agricultural work.[4] After years of inactivity with the villa, excavation of it began in 1929. Work on uncovering the villa continued until 1935 when the project was stopped.[5] However, before work concluded in 1935, volcanic material covering the villa was analyzed and was initially believed to be from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. This theory was debunked with later testing, concluding that the volcanic residue was from another eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 472 AD, with other elements from later eruptions additionally on top of the latter villa.[6][7] In 2002, archeological investigations sponsored by the University of Tokyo began in an attempt to analyze the latter villa. In April 2024, the University of Tokyo announced they believed they had uncovered the exact villa where Augustus died.[8][9] The former villa was discovered beneath the remains of the latter villa previously excavated in the 1930s.[10] Using radiocarbon dating and chemical analysis of the volcanic layers, it was determined that the older villa predated the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and thus could identify as the location where Augustus died.[11]

Architecture

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The younger villa contained an upper and lower terrace with rooms on each floor. Inside one room of the younger villa, two marble statues, including one of Dionysus, were discovered.[12] In the older villa, sixteen amphorae were discovered, along with a warehouse and a furnace, which is believed to have heated a private bathroom.[13]

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References

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  1. ^ Tacitus, 1.5.
  2. ^ Suetonius, Augustus, 98-100
  3. ^ Suetonius, Augustus, 98-100
  4. ^ Aoyagi, M., De Simone, A., & De Simone, G. (2018). The "Villa of Augustus" at Somma Vesuviana. In A. Marzano & G. Métraux (Eds.), The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin: Late Republic to Late Antiquity (pp. 141-156). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316687147.011
  5. ^ Aoyagi, M., De Simone, A., & De Simone, G. (2018). The "Villa of Augustus" at Somma Vesuviana. In A. Marzano & G. Métraux (Eds.), The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin: Late Republic to Late Antiquity (pp. 141-156). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316687147.011
  6. ^ Anderson, Sonja (24 April 2024). "Archaeologists May Have Found the Villa Where the Roman Emperor Augustus Died". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  7. ^ Aoyagi, M., De Simone, A., & De Simone, G. (2018). The "Villa of Augustus" at Somma Vesuviana. In A. Marzano & G. Métraux (Eds.), The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin: Late Republic to Late Antiquity (pp. 141-156). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316687147.011
  8. ^ "Somma Vesuviana Excavation Project". UTokyo Foundation. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  9. ^ Miyashiro, Eiichi (18 April 2024). "Team uncovers lost villa believed to belong to first Roman emperor". The Asahi Shimbum. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  10. ^ Morgan, Amber (22 April 2024). "A 2,000-Year-Old Villa Was Just Uncovered Near Mount Vesuvius — And It May Have Belonged To Roman Emperor Augustus". Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Japanese researchers identify lost villa of Roman Emperor Augustus in Italy". The Jerusalem Post. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  12. ^ Aoyagi, M., De Simone, A., & De Simone, G. (2018). The "Villa of Augustus" at Somma Vesuviana. In A. Marzano & G. Métraux (Eds.), The Roman Villa in the Mediterranean Basin: Late Republic to Late Antiquity (pp. 141-156). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316687147.011
  13. ^ Anderson, Sonja (24 April 2024). "Archaeologists May Have Found the Villa Where the Roman Emperor Augustus Died". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
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