The colorful material weighed over 5 pounds and was likely made to decorate an emperor’s palace, Italian officials said.

Acclaimed classicist Mary Beard explores what it was really like to be emperor of Rome, taking us behind palace walls to reveal the hidden world of the Roman imperial court and lifestyle.

Seeking revenge, the Praetorian Guard stormed the palace and demanded that ... It was also very successful. As emperor, Trajan expanded the Roman Empire to become larger than ever before.

The palace is called the Domus Aurea ... Such undertakings cost money, which Roman emperors typically procured by raiding other countries. But Nero’s warless reign foreclosed this option.