VI. 
THE IMPERIAL ATRIUM OF THE FOURTH PERIOD. 
The last of the important changes in the Atrium, by which the building, 
apart from the court, attained its final form, took place under the successors 
of Hadrian, the Antonines. This change, which represents the fourth stage’ 
in the development of the building, consisted in the filling in of the spaces? 
which had been left on either side of the garden by groups of rooms® opening 
upon narrow corridors,‘ above which, as well as above the rooms of the last 
period, were added a second and a third story.° 
General Description: The earlier part of the building on the west was 
not changed. At the eastern end the Atrium was increased in extent by the 
inclusion of the space which had been occupied by the last five shops on the 
north. On the south the outer wall of the upper stories was pushed back 
beyond that of the lower rooms, increasing the extent of the building in that 
direction from 3 to 6 meters. The level of the new groups of rooms® on the 
north and the south was the same as that of the group on the east. The 
two corridors, however, through which these groups were entered, as well as 
the first of the rooms on the north, were 90+ centimeters lower, agreeing in 
level with the court.”7. The older rooms on the south were raised by the 
insertion of hypocausts, though the room at the southwest corner of the court, 
through which the others were entered, retained its original level. The 
general level of the second story above that of the central court is 9 meters. 
Too little of the third story remains to make any decision concerning its level 
possible. The walls of the new building are for the most part well preserved, 
especially on the southeast, where they are still standing as high as the 
third story.® 
Arrangement and Description of the Rooms: The differentiation of the 
walls of the new rooms from those of the earlier periods is, except in a few 
1 See p. 7. 7 This is evident in the corridor and in the room 
2 See plan C. on the north from the level of the hypo- 
PPlany Ds 9-12; 542-35- causts. In the corresponding corridor on 
4L.c., 8 and 31. the south, the stairs, which belong to this 
5 Plan F,a and 6. Behind the court on the south period, ascend from the level of the central 
is a series of low rooms (plan D, 24-30) court. 
forming a mezzanino. If these rooms be 8 Near the bottom of one of the door-posts, which 
included, the Atrium was at least four was restored at this time, there are remains 
stories high. The stairs leading to the of the painted stucco with which the walls 
fourth story remain, though the rooms of the room were decorated. See plate x, 
themselves have been destroyed. fig. 2, for late level. 
6 The level of the garden remained unchanged. ® The mezzanino is here included. 
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