Rambles in Rome: An Archæological and Historical Guide to the Museums, Galleries, Villas, Churches, and Antiquities of Rome and the CampagnaForbes, S. Russell
History
Rambles in Rome: An Archæological and Historical Guide to the Museums, Galleries, Villas, Churches, and Antiquities of Rome and the Campagna
Forbes, S. Russell
Art -- Rome; Rome (Italy) -- Guidebooks; Rome -- Antiquities
erected during the Gallic war, B.C. 387 (Livy, vi. 5). "The same day
is a festival of Mars, whom the Capenian Gate beholds, outside the
walls, situated close to the covered way" (Ovid, "Fasti," vi. 191).
"They paved with square stones the road from the Capenian Gate to the
Temple of Mars," A.U.C. 456 (Livy, x. 23). Repaired A.U.C. 563
(_Ibid._, xxxviii. 28). "The Curule Ædiles completed the paving of the
road from the Temple of Mars to Bovillæ," A.U.C. 459 (_Ibid._, xi.
47). Mr. Parker found some remains of this temple in excavating at the
back of the church. From here the Roman knights used to ride to the
Temple of Castor in the Forum, on the anniversary of the battle of
Lake Regillus (Dionysius, xi. 13).
_Nearly opposite is the_ CHURCH OF S. SISTO, belonging to the Irish
Dominican friars of S. Clement, on the site of the
TEMPLE OF HONOUR AND VIRTUE.
"Marcellus was desirous to dedicate to Honour and Virtue the temple
which he had built out of the Sicilian spoils, but was opposed by the
priests, who would not consent that two deities should be contained in
one temple. Taking this opposition ill, he began another temple"
(Plutarch. See Livy, xxvii. 25; xxix. 11).
"M. Marcellus, the grandson of the conqueror of Syracuse, erected
statues to his father, himself, and grandfather near the Temple of
Honour and Virtue, with this inscription--III. MARCELLI NOVIES COSS"
(Cicero, Asconius).
This temple must not be confounded with the temple erected by Marius
on the Capitoline, and restored by Vespasian. The Temple of Honour
could not be reached without passing through the Temple of Virtue.
_Opposite, in the Vigna Guidi, No. 19_, are the remains of
THE HOUSE OF HADRIAN.
The chambers occupy three sides of a square peristylium, the walls of
which are painted with frescoes, the pavements being black and white
mosaics forming hippocampi, with rams' heads, Tritons, and nymphs.
Opening out from the peristylium is the Lararium, or room of the
household gods. Here was probably the site of the Villa of Asinius
Pollio, the orator in the time of Augustus; for Pliny mentions that in
his gardens stood the statue now at Naples, called the Farnese Bull,
which was actually found amidst these ruins in 1554. Hence it became
the private house of Hadrian, and was destroyed to build the Baths of
Caracalla.
Continuing our ramble, _on the left_, the Via della Ferratella leads
to the Lateran. It has a fourth century SHRINE OF THE LARES, with
niches for statues.
_Beyond, on the right, is_ S. CESAREO, containing a raised presbytery,
surrounded by a marble screen, a marble pulpit, and an ancient
episcopal chair. Adjoining is part of the titular-cardinal's house, of
the twelfth century. _It is on the site of_
THE TEMPLE OF TEMPESTAS,
erected by Cornelius Scipio, A.U.C. 495.
"Thee too, O Tempest, we acknowledge to have deserved a shrine, at the
time when our fleet was almost overwhelmed by the waves of Corsica"
(Ovid, "Fasti," vi. 193).
_To the left is_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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