Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill

People can get confused about what villa means. And I remember years ago, an architect came to me and he said, I want to reconstruct a Roman villa. And after I talked to him for a bit, I said, ah, you mean a townhouse, a domus? And he said, what's the difference? And I said, oh, it's very simple. A villa is out of the city. A domus is in the city.

People can get confused about what villa means. And I remember years ago, an architect came to me and he said, I want to reconstruct a Roman villa. And after I talked to him for a bit, I said, ah, you mean a townhouse, a domus? And he said, what's the difference? And I said, oh, it's very simple. A villa is out of the city. A domus is in the city.

People can get confused about what villa means. And I remember years ago, an architect came to me and he said, I want to reconstruct a Roman villa. And after I talked to him for a bit, I said, ah, you mean a townhouse, a domus? And he said, what's the difference? And I said, oh, it's very simple. A villa is out of the city. A domus is in the city.

So there's a technical distinction, and a villa is to do with farming and so on. And actually, a farmhouse, they call them villas too, right? So there is a contrast between you. The grandest houses out in the country can be very much bigger than the grandest houses in the town. There's more space. But actually, the Roman elite crisscrossed that boundary. That's one of the most amazing things.

So there's a technical distinction, and a villa is to do with farming and so on. And actually, a farmhouse, they call them villas too, right? So there is a contrast between you. The grandest houses out in the country can be very much bigger than the grandest houses in the town. There's more space. But actually, the Roman elite crisscrossed that boundary. That's one of the most amazing things.

So there's a technical distinction, and a villa is to do with farming and so on. And actually, a farmhouse, they call them villas too, right? So there is a contrast between you. The grandest houses out in the country can be very much bigger than the grandest houses in the town. There's more space. But actually, the Roman elite crisscrossed that boundary. That's one of the most amazing things.

And they built what were effectively villas and have much of the character of great villas outside. They built them in the city. And along the south sea wall of Herculaneum is a series of really grand houses. One, two, three, four, five, half a dozen unbelievably grand houses. And by South Wall, that would have been overlooking the Bay of Naples. And I think there's a magic moment that happens.

And they built what were effectively villas and have much of the character of great villas outside. They built them in the city. And along the south sea wall of Herculaneum is a series of really grand houses. One, two, three, four, five, half a dozen unbelievably grand houses. And by South Wall, that would have been overlooking the Bay of Naples. And I think there's a magic moment that happens.

And they built what were effectively villas and have much of the character of great villas outside. They built them in the city. And along the south sea wall of Herculaneum is a series of really grand houses. One, two, three, four, five, half a dozen unbelievably grand houses. And by South Wall, that would have been overlooking the Bay of Naples. And I think there's a magic moment that happens.

Because up to a certain period, when you're back in the days of the social wars in the early 1st century BC, what are walls for? For defence. What do you do with your walls? You have to keep a whole strip, a broad strip of land, free behind the walls so that the troops can move up and down. At a certain point, it becomes absolutely clear there are going to be no more such wars.

Because up to a certain period, when you're back in the days of the social wars in the early 1st century BC, what are walls for? For defence. What do you do with your walls? You have to keep a whole strip, a broad strip of land, free behind the walls so that the troops can move up and down. At a certain point, it becomes absolutely clear there are going to be no more such wars.

Because up to a certain period, when you're back in the days of the social wars in the early 1st century BC, what are walls for? For defence. What do you do with your walls? You have to keep a whole strip, a broad strip of land, free behind the walls so that the troops can move up and down. At a certain point, it becomes absolutely clear there are going to be no more such wars.

And really, Roman conquest should mark that moment. But even more so, with the victory of Augustus, it creates a sense of, right, civil wars are over. We're not going to face any more invasions. We can forget about the defensive function of our wars.

And really, Roman conquest should mark that moment. But even more so, with the victory of Augustus, it creates a sense of, right, civil wars are over. We're not going to face any more invasions. We can forget about the defensive function of our wars.

And really, Roman conquest should mark that moment. But even more so, with the victory of Augustus, it creates a sense of, right, civil wars are over. We're not going to face any more invasions. We can forget about the defensive function of our wars.

And the great benefactor of Herculaneum, Nonius Balbus, whose statue is proudly outside the sea wall, an inscription says, I restored the walls of the city. But he didn't just restore the walls of the city. He converted all the area behind them, which was a military zone, into potential for expansion. And I imagine Nonius Balbus sort of letting his mates have it.

And the great benefactor of Herculaneum, Nonius Balbus, whose statue is proudly outside the sea wall, an inscription says, I restored the walls of the city. But he didn't just restore the walls of the city. He converted all the area behind them, which was a military zone, into potential for expansion. And I imagine Nonius Balbus sort of letting his mates have it.

And the great benefactor of Herculaneum, Nonius Balbus, whose statue is proudly outside the sea wall, an inscription says, I restored the walls of the city. But he didn't just restore the walls of the city. He converted all the area behind them, which was a military zone, into potential for expansion. And I imagine Nonius Balbus sort of letting his mates have it.

You can have this one, you can have that one. And that gives them enormous urban space to move into. And there's wonderful houses like the House of the Stags and the House of Mosaic Atrium. that are built right up to the seawall can use the potential of land that has never had houses on it before. It's open land.

You can have this one, you can have that one. And that gives them enormous urban space to move into. And there's wonderful houses like the House of the Stags and the House of Mosaic Atrium. that are built right up to the seawall can use the potential of land that has never had houses on it before. It's open land.