By: MARCO CECINI
At the beginning of the 4th century AD, Emperor Maxentius repurposed the land and buildings of the pre-existing estate of Herodes Atticus, along the Via Appia Antica, to construct the grand Imperial Villa that still bears his name today. Until now, it has been assumed that the emperor acted freely by virtue of his absolute power or, more simply, that the property had eventually become part of the imperial domain. However, certain previously overlooked circumstances – such as the sacred restrictions and curses imposed by Herodes Atticus on the temenos dedicated to the memory of his deceased wife, Annia Regilla – make these hypotheses implausible. Thus, the conditions for a third, intriguing theory emerge: succession based on bloodline.
