David Wolpe is among my favorite commentators on religious matters, particularly in some of the better documentaries one occasionally finds on the history of civilization. He is erudite and articulate, insightful and kind.
After the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, Nero took a large swath of the destroyed city for himself to build the Domus Aurea (the Golden House). Spanning nearly 100 acres across the Palatine, Esquiline, and Oppian Hills, the complex was famous for its revolving dining rooms, ceilings that showered guests with flower petals, and walls covered in gold leaf. To decorate the entrance he commissioned a massive 115 foot tall bronze figure of himself, modeled after the Colossus of Rhodes.