Classical literary sources describe the use of gold and gilding in architectural projects of exceptional value. According to Pliny
the Elder, as is well known, a “gilding [inauratio]” technique was used in the Capitoline Temple in the second century BCE.
Suetonius, moreover, stated that the palace built by Nero between the Palatine and Esquiline Hills was “called golden [auream
nominavit]” because parts of the house were “ all covered with gold [cuncta auro lita]” (Suet. Nero, 31, 2). Archaeological evidence
corroborates Suetonius’ account of the use of gilding. More generally, however, the reliability of such literary descriptions
of gilding and the use of gold cannot be taken for granted. Further questions about the use of gold and gilding in this period
also warrant consideration. For example, which buildings were embellished with gold or gilding? What were the contexts in
which gold and gilding were used and to what desired effect? Were there circumstances in which gold-colored materials could
be used instead of gold itself? Were there certain color combinations that enhanced the desired characteristics of the gold? This
paper will use these questions as a starting point for an in-depth discussion of gilding and the use of gold – both as a material
and as a colour – in Roman architecture, as documented in literary sources and archaeological evidence.
