Ruins of Ancient Cities (Vol. 2 of 2): With General and Particular Accounts of Their Rise, Fall, and Present ConditionBucke, Charles
History
Ruins of Ancient Cities (Vol. 2 of 2): With General and Particular Accounts of Their Rise, Fall, and Present Condition
Bucke, Charles
Cities and towns, Ancient
In regard to the form and size of the city, we must follow the direction
of the seven hills upon which it was built. 1. Of these MONS PALATINUS
has always had the preference. It was in this place that Romulus laid
the foundation of the city, in a quadrangular form; and here the same
king and Tullus Hostilius kept their courts, as did Augustus afterwards,
and all the succeeding emperors. This hill was in compass 1200 paces. 2.
MONS TARPEIUS, took its name from Tarpeia, a Roman virgin, who in this
place betrayed the city to the Sabines. It had afterwards the
denomination of Capitolinus, from the head of a man, casually found here
in digging for the foundation of the temple of Jupiter. This hill was
added to the city by Titus Tatius, king of the Sabines; when, having
been first overcome in the field by Romulus, he and his subjects were
permitted to incorporate with the Romans. 3. MONS ESQUILINUS was taken
in by Servius Tullius, who had here his royal seat. 4. MONS VIMINALIS
derived its name from the osiers that grew very plentifully upon it.
This hill was taken in by Servius Tullus. 5. MONS CŒLIUS owes its name
to Cœlius, or Cœles, a Tuscan general greatly celebrated in his time,
who pitched his tents here when he came to the assistance of Romulus
against the Sabines. Its having been taken into the city is attributed
to Tullus Hostilius, by Livy and Dionysius; but by Strabo, to Ancus
Martius. 6. COLLIS QUIRINALIS was so called from the temple of Quirinus,
another name of Romulus; or from the Curetes, a people that removed
hither from a Sabine city, called Cures. It afterwards changed its name
to Caballus, Mons Caballi, and Caballinus, from the two marble horses,
with each a man holding him, which are set up here. They are still
standing, and, if the inscription on the pilasters be true, were the
work of Phidias and Praxiteles; made by those masters to represent
Alexander and his horse Bucephalus, and sent to Nero as a present by
Tiridates king of Armenia. 7. MONS AVENTINUS derived its name from
Aventinus, an Alban king, from the river Avens, or from (ab Avibus) the
birds, that used to flock there from the Tiber. Gellius affirms, that
this hill was not enclosed within the bounds of the city, till the time
of Claudius; but Eutropius expressly states that it was taken into it
even so early as that of Ancus Martius.
As to the extent of the whole city, the greatest, recorded in history,
was in the reign of Valerian, who enlarged the walls to such a degree,
as to surround a space of fifty miles. The number of inhabitants, in its
flourishing state, is computed by Lipsius at four millions. The present
extent of the walls is about thirteen miles. Sir John Hobhouse walked
round them in three hours, thirty-three minutes and three quarters; and
Dr. Burton did the same in three hours and ten minutes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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