one of the famous seven hills of
Rome, and, according to tradition, the site of the earliest
Roman settlement. On its northwest slope was the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus (
legendary founder of
Rome) and his
twin brother Remus were said to have been suckled by a she-
wolf. Several temples and some of the finest
private homes in
Rome stood upon the summit of the Palatine or on its slopes. Under the
Roman Empire, the hill became the site of imperial residences and the emperor
Nero included the entire hill within the precincts of his aurea domus ("Golden
House"), erected after the disastrous
fire of a.d. 64. From a.d. 222, the Palatine Hill ceased to be the official
place of residence of the emperors.