Aula
Vaguely refers to a courtyard, but could be translated as "grand room" or "grand hall" in some contexts
Aula (plural aulae) is a Latin term that vaguely refers to a court or courtyard in ancient Rome. Like many Latin terms, aula is one that is surrounded by a great deal of ambiguity. While the English translation “courtyard” seems to be consistent with many written examples of the word in Latin literature, not all ancient uses of the word fit this translation. Additionally, they differ from other architecturally defined courtyards in the Roman world, such as peristylia (open courtyards with rows of columns surrounding all four sides). One main difference is that, unlike peristylia, aulae do not seem to have conformed to any specific archaeological type. Vitruvius, writing on architectural standards in the first century BCE, refers to aula in the same sentence he refers to peristylia - which itself implies the two spaces were similar but architecturally different - though it is not clear from the passage whether or not Vitruvius is using aula as a general term for courtyard, and peristylia as a more specific term that makes note of the architectural type of said courtyard (Vitruvius, Morgan trans. 1914). One example where the English term “courtyard” seems less appropriate is in the case of the aula in the Templum Pacis (Temple of Peace), where the Forma Urbis (Marble Map of Rome) was housed. This aula, unlike a typical courtyard, was roofed and not open to the outside - and many scholars agree the aula was likely used as the cadastral record office of Rome (where property and land ownership records were stored). The English “grand room” or “grand hall” are sometimes used when referring to the aula in the Templum Pacis (Najbjerg, n.d.), and similar translations have been used for the Grande Aula in the Forum of Trajan (Forum Traiani) (Jackson, 2009). The main evidence that suggests the aula in the Templum Pacis was used as the cadastral record office is the presence of the Forma Urbis, which was a massive marble map of Rome that hung on the wall of the aula and detailed the architectural and infrastructural specifics of the city (Najbjerg, n.d.).
Bibliography
Vitruvius, Morgan translation, 1914.
Latin Dictionary Entry
Aula - Perseus Digital Library
Jay Brodzeller, 2022