One would approach the palace from the forum and would experience a towering and inaccessible facade. People would supposedly gather around this area, known as the Area Palatina, and the emperor would appear in a middle niche to greet them. This made him seem very unapproachable and far removed from the people, as if he displayed a sense of royal aloofness and that he was above the common people. On the South side, the façade opened up to the Circus Maximus, in an attempt to show his closeness to the ordinary people.

Within the palace itself, the dining hall was particularly interesting in how it portrays Domitian. The dining hall was relatively large and could accommodate around 180 guests. However, at the end of the hall there is an apse where Domitian reportedly would sit on a throne and observe his guests from afar. In fact, he reportedly ate his meal earlier in the day and only reclined in the apse to keep an eye on his guests.

The grand reception and banqueting halls were equally lavish, and built with the most expensive and rare marbles and were exceedingly high, as if reaching out to the heavens. Plutarch reported that the palace even outshone the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline hill.  In the apse of each of the three main halls was a throne-like chair, where Domitian reportedly would be during public occasions.

Blueprint of the Flavian Palace. Image from http://nautarch.tamu.edu/class/354/image%20list%202.htm