Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 20.djvu/845

Rh ARCHAEOLOGY.] ROME 817 Tuple ofaturn of the top of this platform and that of the rostra appear to have coincided exactly, so that the whole formed one continuous marble- paved platform, and the rostra would be reached, not by steps, but from the higher ground towards the Capitol, from which access is given to the curved platform and so on to the floor of the rostra. The bronze rostra on this structure of 44 B.C. were believed to be the original beaks from Antium, moved from the old rostra (Floras, i. 11). On its marble platform stood many statues, 1 e.g., of Sulla, Fompey, two of Julius Cresar, and others (see Dion Cass., xlii. 18, and xliv. 4). Owing probably to the weight of the many statues proving too much for the travertine piers, which are not set on their natural beds but endways, and therefore are very weak, the structure seems to have given way at more than one time and the floor has been supported by piers and arches of brick-faced concrete, inserted either in place of or at the sides of the shattered piers. These later additions, apparently of the 3d and 4th centuries, are omitted in Plate VII. for the sake of clearness. The moulded plinth of the curved platform is of Pentelic marble, some of the blocks of which are incised with masons' marks, namely, the Greek letters F, A, E, Z, H, 0, and K. A number of metal pins on the face of the slabs of porta sauta marble which line its front show that emblemata or reliefs, probably of gilt bronze, were once fastened to the marble. 2 The use of Greek marble shows that this platform can be but little earlier than the rostra (44 B.C.) ; and it appears possible that this is the Grrecostasis, transferred, like the rostra, to a new site. 3 See Varro (L.L., v. 155) and Cicero (Ad Quint. Fr., ii. 1), who mention the original structure. Restorations of the later one by Antoninus Pius and Diocletian are mentioned by Capitolinus (Ant. Pius, 8), and in the Catal. Imp. Vienn. given by Preller (Regionen, p. 143), in both cases after injury by fire, a fact which seems to show that in later times the Grfecostasis had some roofed porticus or shelter and was not a mere open platform as it was originally. At the northern end of the curved platform there is a cylindrical structure of concrete faced with brick, and lined with thin marble slabs ; it is in three stages, each diminishing in size, and appears to be an addition of about the time of Severus. This is usually identified with the Umbilicus Romre, or central point of the city, mentioned in the Notitia and the Einsiedeln MS. (see Preller, Regionen, Reg. viii. ). According to another theory it is the base of the gilt statue of the Genius Populi Romani set up by Aurelian ; but this is contradicted by the form of the structure, which is not that of the pedestal of a statue. 4 At the other extremity probably stood the Milliarium Aureum, a marble column sheathed in gilt bronze and inscribed with the names and distances of the chief towns on the roads which radiated from the thirty-seven gates of Rome (Plin., H.N., iii. 9). It was set up by Augustus in 29 B.C. and its position " sub cede Saturni" is indicated by Tacitus (Hist., i. 27; see schol. on Suet., Otho, 6, and Plut., Galba, 24). The Milliarium is mentioned in the Notitia, (Reg. viii.) as being near the Vicus Jugarius. The position shown in Plate VII. agrees with both these indications, being near the start of the Vicus Jugarius, and close under the temple of Saturn. Fragments of a curved marble plinth and frieze with floriated reliefs, now lying in the Basilica Julia, probably belonged to the pedestal of this column ; they were found by Cauiiia near the supposed site. 5 The position of the temple of Saturn is described in Mon. Ancyr. (see below) and shown on the marble plan, and is also identified by various passages in ancient writers. Varro (L.L., v. 42) speaks of it as being "in faucibus Capitolii"; 6 Servius (Ad ^En., ii. 115) says that it is in front of the Clivus Capitoliuus, and near the temple of Concord (see Plate VII.). It was built against a steep slope or outlying part of the Capitoline Hill (comp. Dionys., i. 1 The original rostra had specially honorary statues to those Roman ambassa- dors who had been killed while on foreign service (Liv., iv. 17) ; these were probably removed during Cicero's lifetime (Cic., Phil, ix. 2; see also Dion Cass., xliii. 49, and Plin., H.N., xxxiv. 11). Ghastly ornaments fixed to these rostra in the year 43 B.C., shortly after they were built, were the head and hands of the murdered Cicero (Appian, Bull. Civ. iv. 20 ; Dion Cass., xlvii. 8 ; Juv., x. 120), as on the original rostra had been fixed many heads of the chief victims of the proscriptions of Marius and Sulla (see Appian, Bell. Civ., i. 71, 94 ; Floras, iii. 21 ; and Cic., Pro Sext., 35, 30). The denarius of the gens Lollia with the legend PALIKANVS was once supposed to have a representation of the rostra on its reverse, but it is now generally admitted that the subject is a harbour containing ships, the beaks of which only are shown. Even if the rostra of the Forum are represented it would be the original suggestum, not that of Julius Caesar. 2 This method of decoration was much employed by the Greeks and largely followed by their Roman imitators. For further details on the rostra, &c., see Jordan and Fabricius, in Ann. Inst. for 1883; Nichols, GU Avanzi dei H'tttri, &c., 1885; and a paper by the present writer in Arcliteologia, (read November 1884). s It must, however, be admitted that there is very little evidence in support of this theory. 4 Becker, Hanflhuch, L p. 360, adopts this view, and maintains that the Umbilicus and Milliarium were identical, in spite of their being separately catalogued in the Xntitia. 5 What is probably the column of the Milliarium is still lying near its sup- posed site ; it is of Greek marble, and is covered with holes by which the bronze casing was attached. Since the above was written the existing pieces of the marble base have been replaced on its conjectural site. 6 In the same passage he mentions a gate near this temple into the Capitolium once called Porta Saturnia, but in his time P. Pandana. 34) on the site of a prehistoric altar to Saturn, after whom the Capitoline Hill was originally called Mons Satumius. The public treasury was part of this temple (Serv., Ad ^En., ii. 116, and Macrob., Sat., i. 8). 7 The original temple is said by Varro (ap. Macrob., i. 8) to have been begun by the last Tarquin, and dedi- cated by T. Lartius, the first dictator, 501 B.C. ; but Dionysius (vi. 1) and Livy (ii. 21) attribute it to the consuls A. Sempronius and M. Minucius in 497 B.C. It was rebuilt on a larger scale by Munatius Plancus in the reign of Augustus (Suet., Aug., 29). The only part remaining of this date is the very lofty podium of massive travertine blocks, and. part of the lower course of Athenian marble, with which the whole was faced. In the 16th century a piece of the marble frieze was found, inscribed L. PLANCVS. L. F. COS. IMPER. ITER. DE. MANIB. (C.I.L., vi. 1316). The erection of the six granite columns in the front and two at the sides, with their clumsily patched entablature, belongs to the last rebuilding in the time of Diocletian. Some of these fine columns are evi- dently earlier than this rebuilding, but were refixed with rude caps and bases. One of the columns is set wrong way up, and the whole work is of the most careless sort. Part of the inscription, once inlaid with bronze, recording this latest rebuilding still exists on the entablature (see Gori, L'Erario di Saturno, 1873). 8 On the Forum side the temple is flanked by the Vicus Jugarius, while the steep Clivus Capitolinus winds round the front of the great flight of steps leading up to the cella, and then turns along the north- west side of the temple. 9 The Vicus Jugarius (see Plate VII.), part Vicus of the basalt paving of which is now exposed, was so called (see Jugarius Festus, ed. Miiller, p. 104) from an altar to Juno Juga, the guardian of marriage. Starting from the Forum, it passed between the temple of Saturn and the Basilica Julia, then close under the cliff of the Capitolium (see Liv., xxxv. 21) and on to the Porta Carmen- talis. It was spanned at its commencement by a brick-faced arch lined with marble, the lower part of which exists, and is not earlier than the 3d or 4th century. 10 At this end of the Forum the arch of Tiberius was built across the Sacra Via, which is narrowed as if to bring it under the span of the arch. It was erected in 17 A.D. to commemorate the recovery of the standards lost by Varus. 11 A few fragments remain, scattered about in various places The Basilica Julia 12 occupies a great part of the south-west side Basilica of the Forum, along the line of the Sacra Via ; its ends are bounded Julia, by the Vicus Jugarius and the Vicus Tuscus. It was begun by Julius Csesar, finished by Augustus, and again rebuilt by him, as is recorded in the Mon. Ancyr. , 13 in an important passage which gives its complete early history. In plan it was a large double porticus, open on three sides, with a range of rooms, two or three stories high, on the south-west side. These rooms, of which con- siderable remains exist, are built of tufa with travertine pilasters and bands in the tufa wall. This part probably is of the time of Julius Ccesar ; Augustus surrounded it with an arcade of arches in two stories and engaged Tuscan columns in Luna marble, fragments of which exist at the north-west end. The double aisle which surrounded it was vaulted in concrete, forming upper galleries (maeniana), whence spectators heard the law-cases which were con- ducted in the area below (see Plin., Ep., vi. 33). The central space was not roofed, but probably was sheltered by an awning. 14 It is paved with richly coloured Oriental marbles, namely, pavonazetto, cipollino, giallo, and Africano. The covered aisles are paved with large slabs of white marble. 15 Many tabulas lusoriee, or gambling boards, are scratched on this marble paving (comp. Cic., Phil., ii. 23). 16 Low marble cancelli, with moulded plinth, closed the other- wise open arches of the basilica ; many fragments exist, and one piece of the subplinth is still in situ. This basilica held four law- courts with ISO judiccs or jurors. Trajan and other emperors held law-courts there (Dion Cass., Ixxxviii. 10). An inscription found 7 In several inscriptions occurs the title "prajfecti" or "qujestores serarii Saturni" (see Gudius, Ant. Insc., p. 125; Suet., Claud., 24; Tac., Ann., xiii. 28, 29). 8 Another important treasury was the temple of Ops, in which were stored the 700,000,000 sesterces left by Julius Csesar at his death (Cic., Phil., ii. 37, and i. 7). It is usually supposed, though without much reason, to have ad- joined the temple of Saturn. Livy (xxvii. 10) mentions another treasury, the jErarium Sanctius, in which a reserve store of gold was kept. 9 A portion of these streets with part of the temple of Saturn and the Basilica Julia is shown on fragments of the marble plan (see Plate VII.) 10 One side of this gate was built against one of the marble piers of the Basilica Julia, a perfect print of which still exists in the concrete of the gate, though the marble pier itself has disappeared. The other side of the gate abutted against the marble-lined podium of the temple of Saturn. 11 See Tac., Ann., ii. 41, who says it was "propter redem Saturni." 12 See Suet., Aug., 29 ; Gerhard, Bos. Giulia, <fec., 1823 ; and Viscouti, Excava- zione della Bas. Giulia. 13 " Forvm . Ivlivm . et . basilicam . qvae . fvit . inter . aedem . Castoris . et . aedem . Satvrni . coepta . profligataqve . opera . a . patre . meo . perfeci . et . eandem . basilicam . consvmptam . incendio . ampliato . eivs . solo . svb . titvlo . nominis . flliorvm . inchoavi . et . si . vivvs . non . perfecissem . perfici . ab . haeredibvs . [meis . ivssi]." The " filii " here referred to are Augustus's grand- sons, Caius and Lucius (see Dion Cass., Ivi. 27). w One of the late reliefs on Constantino's arch shows this (or a similar build- ing) with the upper galleries crowded with people (see Plin., Ep., vi. 38, 5). The open arches seem to have curtains to keep out the sun. is Three mediaeval lime-kilns were found by Canina within this basilica, which accounts for the scantiness of the existing remains. 16 A few have inscriptions, e.g., " Vinces . gaudes : perdes . plangis." XX. 103