Suetonius (Nero 31) outlines the extravagance of Nero's Golden House (Domus Aurea) and suggests that the emperor, for all his megalomania, could display a touch of irony at times:

It had a vestibule, in which stood a colossal statue of Nero himself, 120 feet high; the area it covered was so great that it had a mile-long portico with colonnades. It also had a pool which resembled the sea and was surrounded by buildings which were to give the impression of cities; besides this there were rural areas varied with ploughed fields, vineyards, pastures, and woodlands, and filled with all types of domestic animals'and wild beasts. All the structures in other parts of the palace were overlaid with gold and were highlighted with gems and mother-of-pearl. There were dining rooms whose ceilings were equipped with rotating ivory panels and with pipes so that flowers could...