VII. 
THE IMPERIAL ATRIUM OF THE FIFTH PERIOD. 
In the time of Commodus the Atrium was once more partly destroyed by 
fire. The restoration following this partial destruction marks the last stage 
in the development of the building.’ In this restoration the rooms on the 
west and northwest,” which had suffered most severely, were rebuilt, and the 
central court, which had remained unchanged during the previous periods, 
assumed its present form. 
General Description: Since the fire and the reconstruction following it 
affected only the upper portion of the walls, there was no change in the extent 
of the Atrium. Several important changes took place, however, in its level. 
In consequence of the extension of the colonnade, the level of the garden was 
lowered to that of the court on the west, although the level of the colonnade 
itself was at this time, or a little later, raised 20 centimeters.* Various other 
changes occurred in the level of individual rooms. 
Plan of the Interior and Description of Changes: The determination of 
the walls and portions of walls which belong to this period is rendered easy 
by the distinctive type of their construction. The walls which are wholly of 
the period are, moreover, clearly distinguished from those of the earlier 
buildings by their structural independence. 
The general plan of the building remained unchanged. Its appearance 
was, however, much altered by the destruction of the walls® separating the 
earlier court from the garden and by the extension of the colonnade to the 
rooms on the east. By the extension of the colonnade the building was more 
closely bound together and the differences in the height and the style of 
architecture of its various parts concealed. ‘The colonnade, which was 
probably wholly rebuilt, consisted, like that of the earlier period, of two 
rows of columns, one above the other, but with no floor corresponding to 
the intermediate entablature. The intercolumnar spaces are wider than 
those of the older part of the colonnade towards the west.® ‘The increase in 
width, however, is not regular’ and arose from the necessity of distributing 
the six columns on either side of the newer part of the colonnade over a space 
1 See p. 8. ® Schulze (Jordan, /.c., 37) held this increase to 
? Plan E, 48-564, 14-7. be an architectural refinement due to regard 
3 The new level was that of the coarse black and for perspective. Cf. p. 23. 
white mosaic, of which considerable remains 7 The intercolumnar spaces on the west do not 
are found. exceed 3.43 meters. Those toward the east 
4 For this type of construction, see plate 11, fig. 2. are 3.93, 3-63, 3-63, 3.63, 3-73 meters re- 
5 See plate iv, fig. 1. spectively, 
43 
