Domus Aurea (Antioch)

The church became a major point of the controversy between Christians and Julian the Apostate when the latter closed the cathedral in response to the burning of an ancient temple of Apollo in the nearby suburb of Daphne.

Part of the border of this hunt scene shows buildings from Antioch, including those interpreted to be the Imperial Palace and the Domus Aurea.

Eusebius in his Life of Constantine, describes the Domus Aurea as being octagonal in plan, sited in a large enclosure, with many chambers clustered around it.

The floor consisted of polished marble and every part of the building was highly decorated with brass, gold and precious stones.

When the temple burned down, shortly thereafter, Julian was furious, suspecting the Christians and in response closed the Great Church, removing its liturgical vessels.

[5] The final destruction of the great church occurred on 31 October 588 (or possibly 587), when Antioch was again struck by a major earthquake.

A possible depiction of the Great Church of Antioch (to the right) next to the Imperial Palace, from the border of the late 5th century Megalopsychia hunt mosaic , found in Daphne, near Antioch
Ground plan of the Basilica of San Vitale , Ravenna , completed in 548, may indicate the form of the Domus Aurea