Invidia status and imperium maris: interpreting visual axes on Ancient Roman villae maritimae

The article considers from a new perspective the concept of visual axes in ancient Roman representative residential architecture, employing Villa San Marco as a case for the study of typical seaside villas of the nobility. The private estates of the Roman nobility, including domus, villa suburbana and villa maritima, functioned not only as retreats but also as venues for hosting guests and engaging in political discussions and decisions. Such residences were designed to accommodate large gatherings while serving as a status instrument and showcasing their owners' taste and wealth. Within these villas, public representative spaces and private areas coexisted not in a random manner but following several structural principles, including that of a visual axis. Wallace-Hadrill introduced the concept of a frontal visual axis that linked almost all public and private spaces within a domus, thus demonstrated a certain prospect of social and loyalty mobility. The author of the article argues for the existence of lateral perspectives that could evoke different meanings and associations among guests, offering additional layers of interpretation. All identified axes are classified into groups according to their location and possible suggestions as invidia - “claim to a new status”, and imperium - “control over nature”. By introducing these two new types of perspectives, the article enriches the previously established idea of a single axis, thereby enhancing our understanding of the public-private landscape of a Roman seaside villa.