Following the accession of Nerva as emperor , the Senate passed damnatio memoriae on Domitian : his coins and statues were melted , his arches were torn down and his name was erased from all public records . In many instances , existing portraits of Domitian , such as those found on the Cancelleria Reliefs , were simply recarved to fit the likeness of Nerva . This allowed quick production of new images and recycling of previous material . In addition , the vast palace which Domitian had erected on the Palatine Hill , known as the Flavian Palace , was renamed the " House of the People " , and Nerva himself took up residence in Vespasian 's former villa in the Gardens of Sallust .