Chapter M: Agrippa . L. F. Cos . Tertium . Fecit (3)

now called Ponte dei Quattro Capi, from the four-headed Janus upon its balustrades. From the inscription, and from Dion Cassius (xxxvii. 45), we learn that it was erected, B.C. 61, by L. Fabricius, Curator Viarum. Horace (S. ii. 3) says that "Stertinius advised the would-be suicide Damasippus to return cheerfully from the Fabrician Bridge." It has two arches. The bridge leads to

THE ISLAND OF THE TIBER.

"The Tarquins had sacrilegiously converted the best part of the Campus Martius to their own use. When they were expelled, it happened to be harvest time, and the sheaves then lay upon the ground; but as it was consecrated, the people could not make use of it. A great number of hands, therefore, took it up in baskets and threw it into the river. The trees were also cut down and thrown in after it, and the ground left entirely without fruit or produce for the service of the god. A great quantity of different sorts of things being thus thrown in together, they were not carried far by the current, but only to the shallows, where the first heaps had stopped. Finding no further passage, everything settled there, and the whole was bound still firmer by the river; for that washed down to it a deal of mud, which not only added to the mass, but served as a cement to it, and the current, far from dissolving it, by its gentle pressure gave it the greater firmness. The bulk and solidity of this mass received continual additions, most of what was brought down by the Tiber settling there. It was now an island sacred to religious uses. Several temples and porticoes have been built upon it; and it is called in Latin _inter duos pontes_--the island between the two bridges" (Plutarch, in "Publicola").

The island in the Tiber is an alluvial formation, and thus far the legend is correct in ascribing its origin to the accumulation of rubbish and drifted sand. In remembrance of the vessel which bore the statue of Æsculapius from Epidaurus to Rome, the entire island was faced with stone, and made to assume the form of a ship, in which was placed the temple of the god.

Some of the immense blocks of travertine composing the facing, and representing the hull of the ship, may still be seen in the monastery garden of the Church of S. Bartolomeo in Isola. _Ladies are not admitted to the monastery._

"In the island of the Tiber, just prior to the death of Otho, the statue of Julius Cæsar turned from west to east, a circumstance said likewise to have happened when Vespasian took on him the empire" (Plutarch).

In the Piazza is a monument to SS. John, Francis, Bartholomew, and Paulinus. The interior of the church is embellished with fourteen ancient columns, and in the choir are the remains of an early mosaic.

The island on the farther side is connected with the mainland by

THE PONS CESTIUS,

now called Ponte S. Bartolomeo. It was erected, B.C. 45, by the Prætor Lucius Cestius; the inscription records its restoration, A.D. 367, by the Emperors Valentinian, Valens, and Gratian. It consists of a single arch. Over the bridge is TRASTEVERE, the inhabitants of which claim to be descended from the ancient Romans: their manners and customs are somewhat distinct from those of the inhabitants of the other side of the river.

_From the bridge_ (_retracing our steps_) _a street leads into the Piazza Montanara; turn to the right up the Via Montanara; on the right is the_ CHURCH OF S. NICOLO IN CARCERE, built over three temples.

_Entrance to see the substructions through the sacristy._

THE TEMPLES OF JUNO SOSPITA, PIETY, AND HOPE.

Three temples of the time of the republic, situated in one front, and forming a group. Not only many columns, but also considerable remains of the substructions have been preserved. The latter have been rendered accessible by the recent excavations.

The largest of these temples, Piety, situated in the middle, is of Ionic architecture. It is surrounded by a corridor, and is probably the same erected to Piety by the son of M. Acilius Glabrio ten years after the event, in fulfilment of a vow made by his father at the battle of Thermopylæ, A.U.C. 562, erected 572 (Livy, xl. 34). The _left hand_ temple is that of Juno Sospita (to keep in health), founded by Cethægus, B.C. 195 (Livy, xxxii. 30, xxxiv. 53). The Temple of Hope is _on the right_. It was erected by Atilius Calatinus during the first Punic War, B.C. 248 (Livy xxi. 62, xxv. 7).

These temples were situated in the Forum Olitorium, the great vegetable market of Rome, and outside the Servian wall. The custodian shows a cell which he points out as the scene of the "Caritas Romana." Visitor! "beware, beware! he's fooling thee." This is not that Temple of Piety erected on the site of the house of the Roman matron, or, according to some authorities, on the site of the Decemviral Prisons; for Pliny and Solinus tell us that the sites of the temple and prison were occupied by the Theatre of Marcellus. According to Valerius Maximus (v. 4) and Pliny ("Natural History," vii. 36), it was a daughter who thus saved her mother's life, and "they were henceforth provided for by the state." Festus says it was her father.

_Turn to the right, in coming out of the temple; a short distance on the right the Via di Ponte Rotto turns out to the right. A little way up on the right is_

THE HOUSE OF RIENZI.

"The Roman of Rome's least mortal mind;"
The friend of Petrarch and liberty,
Who died for Rome and Italy.
Rienzi! the patriotic Roman,
Close by whose house doth wind
The Tiber, subservient to the will of no man.

It was built from the remains of one of those medieval towers used by the Romans as fortresses, and, as such, bore the name of the Torre di Monzone. It was demolished by Arlotto degli Stefaneschi, in the year 1313, in order to diminish the power of the Orsini, in whose possession it was. An inscription on the ruin states the founder to have been a certain Nicolas, the son of Crescentius and Theodora. Hence it has been supposed that the Crescentius here mentioned is identical with the celebrated consul who ruled over Rome A.D. 998; an opinion strengthened by the fact of his wife having really borne the name of Theodora. Rienzi is said to have been descended from them. Pope Leo XIII. was descended through his mother from Rienzi.

OLD RHYMING VERSE ON THE HOUSE OF RIENZI.

"First of the foremost, Nicolas, great from a low estate,
Raised (_this_) to revive the glory of his fathers.
There is placed the name of his father and mother, Crescentius
and Theodora.
This renowned roof, bore from (_a_) dear pledge:
The father who displayed it assigned it to David."

Another line says,--

"In fair places ever remember the grave."

The neighbouring people call this ruin the Casa di Pilato, and the appellation of the Casa di Cola di Rienzi has been added since the last century. Rienzi died in 1354 A.D. _A step or two lead to_

THE PONTE ROTTO,

anciently the Pons Æmilius. This bridge, intended to unite the nearer bank of the river with Trastevere, but rendered impassable by the fall of several arches in 1598, whence its name of the Ponte Rotto, was commenced in the censorship of M. Æmilius Lepidus and M. Fulvius Nobilior, in the year of the city 573, and was completed by P. Scipio Africanus and L. Mummius. From the first of these it took its name. "Marcus Fulvius made contracts for piers for a bridge over the Tiber; on which piers Publius Scipio Africanus and Lucius Mummius, censors many years afterwards, caused the arches to be raised" (Livy, xl. 51). It is the same from which the body of Elagabalus was thrown with a stone attached to it, after having been dragged through the Circus.

In January 1886, to the eternal disgrace of the acting mayor, Duke Torlonia, and the municipal authorities of Rome, the remaining half of the oldest bridge over the Tiber was wantonly and unnecessarily destroyed in the works going on for the embankment of the river, the city fathers leaving one arch in the centre of the river as a monument of their folly. From this arch a suspension bridge is to be thrown to the Trastevere side. The Cloaca Maxima has been diverted into the Tiber below S. Paul's, in order to prevent the back-wash into the city. _A little lower down was_

THE SUBLICIAN BRIDGE,

in front of which Horatius displayed his valour. It was first erected, A.U.C. 114, by Ancus Martius. By appointment of the oracle it was built only of timber fastened with wooden pins; "for the Romans considered it as an execrable impiety to demolish the wooden bridge, which, we are told, was built without iron, and put together with pins of wood only, by the direction of some oracle. The stone bridge was built many ages after, when Æmilius was quæstor. Some, however, inform us that the wooden bridge was not constructed in the time of Numa, having the last hand put to it by Ancus Martius" (Plutarch, in "Numa").

"Rome was in great danger of being taken, when Horatius Cocles, and with him two others of the first rank--Herminius and Spurius Lartius--stopped them at the bridge.... This man [Horatius], standing at the head of the bridge, defended it against the enemy till the Romans broke it down behind him. Then he plunged into the Tiber, armed as he was, and swam to the other side, but was wounded in the hip with a Tuscan spear" (Plutarch, in "Publicola"). Livy (ii. 10) gives his prayer before plunging in: "Holy father Tiber, I beseech thee to receive these arms, and this thy soldier, into thy propitious stream." And

"Still is the story told
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old."

Near this spot Clœlia swam across the Tiber on horseback, when escaping from Lars Porsena.

"While Cocles kept the bridge and stemmed the flood,
The captive maids there tempt the raging tide,
'Scaped from their chains, with Clœlia for their guide."--VIRGIL.

_Returning from the bridge, turn to the right. On our left is_

THE TEMPLE OF PUDICITIA PATRICIA.

The Temple of Patrician Chastity stood inside the wall of Servius in the Forum of the Cattle-dealers. Livy (x. 23) says: "In the year A.U.C. 456, a quarrel broke out among the matrons in the Temple of Patrician Chastity, which stands in the cattle-market, near the Round Temple of Hercules."

It was converted in 880 into the Church of S. MARIA EGIZIACA. It has four Ionic columns at the front, with four apparent columns at the end, and seven on one side. A frieze of stucco, representing heads of oxen, candelabra, and wreaths of flowers borne by children, is on the entablature; it is 100 feet long by 50 wide. When it was turned into a church the wall dividing the portico from the cella was pulled down, and the columns of the portico were filled in to make it longer for a church. It is the best specimen we have of a republican temple.

_Going down by the side of the temple, we come to_

THE ROUND TEMPLE OF HERCULES.

This is the temple mentioned above by Livy, and we see the positions agree with his statements. It is formed of twenty beautiful Corinthian columns, only one of which, on the right side, is missing. Its circumference is only 156 feet, and that of the cella 26 feet, and the height of the columns 32 feet. The walls within the portico are of white marble (much of which still remains), and the pieces of it were put together so as to have the appearance of one mass. The temple stands on a base of tufa, showing early construction, but is a restoration of the time of Vespasian.

This was probably the Temple of Hercules which Vitruvius (iii. 3) says was erected by Pompey. Pliny (xxxiv. 19) says Myron made the statue of Hercules which is in the Ædes Herculis, built by Pompey the Great, near the Circus Maximus. Again (xxxv. 7) he speaks of "the paintings of the poet Pacuvius, in the Temple of Hercules, situated in the cattle-market."

THE GRAND TEMPLE OF HERCULES.

There were other temples to Hercules in the Forum Boarium, of which we have some travertine remains behind the Church of S. Maria in Cosmedin opposite. "The Romans afterwards built a magnificent temple near the river Tiber, in honour of Hercules, and instituted sacrifices to him out of the tenths" (Diodorus, iv. 1). "In A.U.C. 534 a supplication was ordered to be performed by individuals at the Temple of Hercules" (Livy, xxi. 62). This was destroyed by Pope Adrian I., A.D. 772-795. "By the infinite labour of the people, employed during a whole year, Adrian threw down an immense structure of Tiburtine stone to enlarge the Church of S. Maria in Cosmedin" (Anastasias).

THE CHURCH OF S. MARIA IN COSMEDIN

is on the site of a temple to Ceres and Proserpine. "Spurius Cassius consecrated the Temple of Ceres, Bacchus, and Proserpine, which stands at the end of the great circus, and is built over the starting-places, and which Aulus Postumius, the dictator, had vowed when upon the point of engaging the Latins," A.U.C. 258 (Dionysius, vi. 94). "It was restored by Augustus, and consecrated by Tiberius" (Tacitus, "Annals," ii. 49). The temple fronted north, and in the left-hand aisle of the church are three of the columns of the portico _in situ_; three of the side columns are in the portico of the church, and three others in the sacristy, where there is part of a mosaic from old S. Peter's, A.D. 705.

In the portico is a large mask of stone called the Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth). A suspected person, on making an affirmation, was required to put his hand in the mouth of this mask, in the belief that if he told an untruth the mouth would close upon his hand. Several columns of the old temple are immured in the walls, and the aisles are formed by twenty ancient marble columns; the pavement is of beautiful _opus Alexandrinum_. _Behind_ the altar is a fine bishop's chair, and a Greek picture of the Virgin and Child, also some old frescoing behind a panel on the left. _Opposite_ the church is a beautiful fountain of Tritons supporting a basin.

_Resuming our ramble down the_ VIA MARMORATA, _turn left coming out of the church, passing under_ an archway, the remains of the Porta Trigemina in the Servian Wall. _The road runs for a short distance by the Tiber, on the opposite side of which is the_ RIPA GRANDE, _or quay. Taking the road to the right, past a stone-yard, Marmorata, by the river, brings us to_

THE EMPORIUM,

another important building of the time of the Republic, of which we have considerable remains. The exact date of its foundation is not recorded, but a porticus, or arcade, was made to it, and it was paved about the year 560 of Rome, or 193 B.C. It was the great warehouse for the port of Rome for merchandise brought by vessels coming from the sea. There was another port at the Ripetta for provisions brought _down_ the river in boats.

The Emporium was to ancient Rome what the docks are to London and Liverpool. This great building formed three sides of a quadrangle, the fourth being open to the quay on the bank of the Tiber, with a zigzag path down the face of the cliff and surface of the quay. This was excavated by the Pontifical Government, under the direction of Baron Visconti. It was remarkably perfect; the walls against the cliff were faced with _opus reticulatum_ of the time of Hadrian, and a large number of blocks of valuable marbles were found here. A little further up the river an _amphora_ is cut in the wall of the quay, to indicate the place for landing wine and oil. The portion of the Emporium now remaining belongs to the portico or arcade. There are said to be extensive cellars under the other remains, forming a lower story of the buildings. A new quarter is in course of erection here.

The Emporium, and the quay by the side of it, called the MARMORATA, or Marble Wharf, are situated at the lower end of the great Port of Rome for sea-going vessels, which port extended about half a mile up the river, with the Salaria, or Salt Wharf, near the middle of it. Above this, and nearly opposite the point where the Almo falls into the Tiber, a little below the Temple of Hercules, are several large stone corbels with holes through them, through which a pole was passed for the purpose of fastening a chain across the river for holding vessels against the force of the stream. There are similar corbels in the wall of the Marmorata for the same purpose, only these corbels are left plain; those at the upper end of the port are carved in the form of lions' heads of the early character called Etruscan. These corbels at the two ends mark the extent of the Port of Rome, made originally in the year 577 of Rome, and were discovered by Mr. J. H. Parker, C.B.

_Regaining the main road, at a little distance we pass under an arch of the aqueduct which supplied the Emporium with water. It is called the_ ARCO DI S. LAZARO. _We next turn off to the right, and ascend_

MONS TESTACCIO,

formed of fragments of earthenware, chiefly of amphoræ. We know from those remaining at Pompeii that the amphoræ which formed that branch of commerce were often six feet high. Great numbers of these got broken in landing, and all were thrown on this heap, as they were not allowed to be thrown into the Tiber. There is also said to have been a manufactory of amphoræ and other earthenware at this spot, many of the fragments found here being the refuse of a great manufactory. This is supposed to have been the great manufactory of earthenware for the city of Rome for several centuries; and this supposition may account for the enormous quantity of such refuse that has accumulated on the spot, so as to form a hill. Tombs proving its comparatively recent origin were discovered beneath it in the year 1696. It is 110 feet high, and surmounted by a cross. The view from the top is very fine. _Close by is the_

PROTESTANT CEMETERY.

"The spirit of the spot shall lead
Thy footsteps to a slope of green access."

The cemetery is an open space among the ruins, covered in winter with violets and daisies. "It might make one in love with death, to think that one should be buried in so sweet a place." So wrote Shelley, whose heart is contained in a tomb at the top left-hand corner of the new ground, his body having been burned upon the shore at Lerici, where it was thrown up by the sea. _Passing into the old ground_, "in the romantic and lovely cemetery under the pyramid which is the tomb of Cestius, and the mossy walls and towers, now mouldering and desolate, which formed the circuit of ancient Rome" (Shelley), here, on the right of the entrance, "lies one whose name was writ in water," Keats desiring this to be engraved upon his tomb. A fellow-poet says, "You feel an interest here, a sympathy you were not prepared for; you are yourself in a foreign land, and they are for the most part your countrymen, Englishmen."

_In returning from the Cemetery, nearly opposite the exit, a lane, Via S. Maria, leads up to the_ AVENTINE HILL. The square at the top is decorated with military trophies of the Knights of Malta. _A door on the left leads to_ their Priory; it contains a key-hole;--look through it, 'tis worth your while.

IL PRIORATO.

(_Open Wednesday and Saturday._)

Built upon the site of the Temple of the Bona Dea, and where, according to some accounts, Remus took up his position to consult the flight of birds. On the right in entering is the tomb of Bishop Spinelli, an antique sarcophagus representing Minerva and the Muses. The church contains several tombs of the Knights of Malta, to whom it belonged, and who still exist and hold property in Rome, their encampment being in the Via Condotti; amongst others, there is a tomb erected to Brother Bartholomew Caraffa, Grand Master, died 1450.

_Beyond, on the left, is the_

CHURCH OF S. ALEXIUS,

on the site of the Armilustrum, where the Sabine king, Titus Tatius, was buried. In the left aisle are a well and staircase belonging to the house of S. Alexius's parents, which formerly stood by the side of the church, where, after his return from his pilgrimage, he was allowed to live unrecognized by them. There is a very interesting fresco of S. Alexius's life on the walls of the underground Church of S. Clemente. (See page 228.)

_A little further, on the left, is the_

CHURCH OF S. SABINA,

on the site of the saint's house, and formerly of the Temple of Juno Regina founded by Camillus. The church has been much restored at different times.

In the chapel on the right of the high altar is Sassoferrato's Virgin, with the rosary. The Chapel of S. Catherine, painted by Odazzi, is worthy of note. In the convent garden is an orange-tree planted by S. Dominic.

_Following on the road, we take the first turning to the right; some little way down, on the left, is the_

CHURCH OF S. PRISCA,

supposed to occupy the site of the house, some remains of which can be seen in the crypt, in which she was baptized by S. Peter. Only open on January 18. Supposed to have been formerly the site of the Temple of Diana founded by Servius Tullius.

_Down the hill, and up the opposite one, leads to the_

CHURCH OF S. SABA,

built on the site of the house of Silvia, the mother of Gregory the Great, who used to send every day to her son on the Cœlian a silver basin containing soup. Uninteresting, and only open on the saint's day, December 5.

_At the foot of the hill, on the left corner of the two roads, is the_

CAVE OF AQUEDUCTS,

a large stone quarry, intersected in all directions by aqueducts. Some of them are cut out of the solid tufa, others built in passages cut through the tufa; some are blocked up with mud deposit, others with stalactite; some run for a considerable distance, others being broken in, in extracting the tufa. They present altogether a curious and interesting study.

_Opposite S. Prisca, in the vineyard of Prince Torlonia, are remains of the_

WALL OF THE LATINS,

built by the Latins under Ancus Martius, when he added the Aventine to the city.

The cliff has been scarped to the depth of 60 feet, and a terrace made on the ledge on which the wall stands, consisting of blocks of tufa. It was originally 12 feet thick, and in one part an arch is introduced for catapults, similar to those we have seen in ruins on the Palatine. The back of this part of the wall is a mass of concrete backing. At the foot of the wall was a trench, afterwards filled up, in which deep wells have been made for interments. Under the hill of S. Saba, below the cottage opposite, are traces of another early fortification formed of masses of concrete, originally faced with large blocks of tufa. The road here ran through the Porta Randusculana, in the fortifications of the seven hills.

_In this vineyard are also some remains of_

THE BATHS OF SURA,

cousin of Trajan. These remains have only been partly explored, and are of great extent.

_On the opposite side of the road, in another vineyard_, are some massive remains of the aqueduct and reservoir of these baths, from the top of which there is a most enjoyable view of the city in general and the Palatine in particular. "Sura, the neighbour of the Aventine Diana, beholds at less distance than others the contests of the great circus" (Martial, vi. 64).

_In this vineyard are also some remains called the_

HOUSE OF AQUILA AND PRISCILLA.

It consists of some chambers of reticulated work and a well of the early empire; the latter extends under S. Prisca. "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus.... Likewise greet the church that is in their house" (Rom. xvi. 3, 5).

_From the vineyard turn to the right. Some little way down on the right is the_ entrance to the Jewish Cemetery. This hill was the ancient Clivus Publicus, a continuation of the Vicus Tuscus, and up which the sacred processions used to come to the Aventine.

_In the valley below us was_

THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS.

"Tarquinius also built the great circus which lies between the Aventine and Palatine Hills. He was the first who erected covered seats round it; for till then the spectators stood on scaffolds supported by poles. And he divided the places between the thirty curiæ. He assigned to each curia a particular part, so that every spectator was seated in the place that belonged to him. This work also became in time one of the most beautiful and most admirable structures in Rome. The circus is 3½ stadia in length, and 400 feet in breadth. Round the two greater sides, and one of the lesser, runs a canal, 10 feet deep and as many broad, to receive the water; behind the canal, porticoes are erected three stories high, of which the lowest has stone seats, as in the theatres, raised a little above the level of the ground, and the two upper porticoes have wooden seats. The two larger porticoes are connected into one, and joined together by means of the lesser, and, meeting, form a semicircular figure; so that all three constitute one amphitheatral portico of 8 stadia, capable of receiving one hundred and fifty thousand persons. The other lesser side is left uncovered, and contains several arched starting-places for the horses, which are all opened at one signal. On the outside of the circus runs another portico of one story, which has shops in it, and habitations over them. In this portico are entrances and ascents for the spectators at every shop, contrived in such a manner that so many thousand persons may go in and out without any molestation" (Dionysius, iii. 69).

This description is evidently of the building as it stood in the days of Augustus. Founded by Tarquin, it was extended by Cæsar, and kept in repair and embellished by Augustus, Claudius, Domitian, Trajan, Constantine, and Theodoric. (See Suetonius, "Cæsar," xxxix.; Pliny, xxxv. 24, xxxvi. 15; Livy, vii. 20, i. 35.)

The valley in which it stood was originally called the Murzian Valley. Here Romulus gave the games when the Romans ran off with the Sabine women. The stream of the Almo runs through it: this branch of the Almo was taken from the main stream, about six miles from Rome, and made to pass through the Circus to supply with water the canal made by Cæsar which separated the spectators from the arena.

Remains of the curve can be seen at the Cœlian end, and some fragments of seats exist under the Palatine.

_Crossing the site of the Circus, on our right, standing back, is the_

CHURCH OF S. ANASTASIA,

underneath which is part of two massive tufa towers of the wall of the kings that surrounded the two hills; and part of the old street called after Julius Cæsar which passed by the side of the Circus, facing on to which are a row of shops, behind which are some remains of the seats of the Circus Maximus.

THE LUPERCAL

"was a grotto consecrated to Pan, the most ancient and the most honoured of all the Arcadian gods. It was surrounded by a wood, and is contiguous to the Palatine buildings, and is to be seen in the way that leads to the Circus. Near it stands a temple in which a statue is placed representing a wolf suckling two children,--they are in brass, and of ancient workmanship" (Dionysius, i. 76). This grotto, with the water still flowing out of the rock, still exists under the street at the corner of the Via de Cerchi, but it is not at present accessible. It was discovered by Mr. J. H. Parker, C.B., in 1869; and he found remains of the work of Augustus, who says, in the "Mon. Ancyr.," "_Lupercal ... feci._" We have been into it, and it exactly answers the description of Dionysius.

_From the church we follow the_ VIA DI S. TEODORO. _A decline on the left leads to_

THE ARCH OF JANUS (?),

a double arch of considerable magnitude, believed to be that of the four-headed Janus, the appearance of the structure involuntarily recalling the celebrated sanctuary of that god in the Forum, with which, however, it must not be confounded. There is no authority for calling it the Arch of Janus; we do not know what it was called by the Romans. In the sides of the piers which support the arch are twelve niches, apparently intended for the reception of statues. In one of these is a doorway leading up a narrow staircase to a chamber in the interior of the building, probably used as a place for business.

This singular building, which in its present condition has a somewhat quaint appearance, has evidently been intended for a place of sale. Being erected over the spot where the two roads intersecting the cattle-market met, it seems to have marked the central point of the traffic carried on in this space.

It is of white marble, old material re-used, and probably of the time of Constantine. Domitian erected several arches to Janus, but this is not good enough for his time.

_By its side is_

THE ARCH OF THE SILVERSMITHS AND CATTLE-DEALERS.

We are indebted to this inconsiderable little monument--stated in the inscription to have been raised by the silversmiths and cattle-dealers to the imperial family of Septimius Severus--for the important information that the Forum Boarium, mentioned in the legends of the foundation of Rome, was situated on this spot. The sculptures with which the arch is ornamented are much defaced, and hidden from view on one side by the Church of S. Giorgio. Those in the interior represent sacrifices offered by the emperor and his sons. On one of the side piers is the figure of Hercules, evidently having reference to this locality, which was consecrated to him, and in the neighbourhood of which he had actually erected the Ara Maxima. At the back is a representation of a ploughman with a yoke of oxen, also in allusion to the myths, the different threads of which all unite at this point.

On the inside _right_ are the effigies of Septimius and his wife Julia; and opposite them were Caracalla and Geta, but the latter has been cut out, leaving only his brother. On the pilasters, the capitals of which are Roman, we discover among various field-badges the portraits of the emperor, his wife, and one of his sons; that of Geta having been obliterated after his murder, by the order of Caracalla.

It is rather a misnomer to call this an arch, as it has a flat top.

_Adjoining is the_

CHURCH OF S. GIORGIO IN VELABRO,

founded in the fourth century. The architrave above the portico (of the thirteenth century) is where Rienzi affixed his proclamation announcing, "In a short time the Romans will return to their ancient good estate." It is seldom opened, except on its festival, January 20th. The aisles are formed by sixteen different columns, no doubt the plunder of some other building. It is dedicated to the patron saint of England, a piece of whose banner is preserved beneath the altar.

_Proceeding down the low brick archway opposite brings us to_

THE CLOACA MAXIMA,

originally made by Tarquinius Superbus in the year 138 of Rome, or 530 years before Christ: part of the actual construction appears to be original and of that time. It is built of the larger blocks of tufa, and has a round-headed vault. The German theory is, that this great drain was originally open at the top, and not vaulted over till the time of Camillus, after the capture of Veii in the war with the Etruscans; but the construction does not agree with this. The additional branch of the Cloaca made by Agrippa to carry off the water from his thermæ near the Pantheon (to supply which the Aqua Virgo was made), is of brick, after the fashion of his time. This can be seen at the junction near the Church of S. Giorgio in Velabro or the Janus Quadrifrons. Several natural streams of water are collected in this great drain, and still run through it. One, from the Quirinal, runs straight between the Palatine and the Capitol; a second comes from the eastern side of the Palatine and the Arch of Titus; a third runs from the Capitol, the spring being in the lower chamber of the Prison of S. Peter. All these met near the Forum Romanum, and formed the Lake of Curtius, which was drained by the great Cloaca. But this drain is not so low down as the lake is deep; consequently there is always a swamp there, even now, after much rain. Two other streams fall into it near the Janus,--one from the direction of the Pantheon; the other from the western side of the Palatine, coming out of the cave called the Lupercal, where the water gushes out from under the arch with great force. This is called the Aqua Argentina, or the Silvery Water, either from its beautiful clearness, or because it went through the silversmiths' quarter.

_Regaining the_ VIA S. TEODORO, _turn left, under the Palatine. On the right is the_

CHURCH OF S. TEODORO,

founded by Adrian I., 772-795, and rebuilt, A.D. 1451, by Nicholas V. This church, from being round, has been called after all sorts of temples, but there is nothing whatever to show that it was once a pagan temple. It belongs to a burial fraternity. Over the altar is a mosaic, of the time of Adrian I., of our Saviour between SS. Peter and Paul. The Roman women bring their children here every Thursday morning to be blessed, after their recovery from sickness. It is a very ancient custom, and may have originated from the sick people who used to resort to the Fountain of Juturna to drink the waters.

FOOTNOTE:

[14] Warm baths which were destined for public use only.

RAMBLE IV.

VIA BABUINO -- PIAZZA DI SPAGNA -- TREVI FOUNTAIN --
PIAZZA SS. APOSTOLI -- COLONNA GALLERY -- FORUM AND COLUMN
OF TRAJAN -- FORUM OF AUGUSTUS -- TEMPLE OF MARS ULTOR --
ACADEMIA DI S. LUCA -- FORUM OF NERVA -- ALTAR OF MINERVA
-- SITE OF THE HOUSE OF POMPEY -- TORRE DI CONTI -- HOUSE
OF LUCREZIA BORGIA -- S. PIETRO IN VINCOLI -- THE GOLDEN
HOUSE OF NERO AND THE BATHS OF HADRIAN -- THE BASILICÆ OF
S. CLEMENT -- TEMPLE OF MITHRAS -- EGYPTIAN OBELISK -- THE
BAPTISTERY -- THE LATERAN MUSEUM AND GALLERY -- S. JOHN
LATERAN -- SCALA SANTA -- VILLA WOLKONSKY -- THE
AMPHITHEATRE -- S. CROCE IN GERUSALEMME -- THE SESSORIUM
PALACE -- S. STEFANO ROTONDO -- NERO'S MEAT-MARKET -- S.
MARIA DELLA NAVICELLA -- ARCH OF DOLABELLA -- VILLA
CŒLIMONTANA -- SS. GIOVANNI AND PAOLO -- TEMPLE OF
CLAUDIUS -- THE VIVARIUM AND SPOLIARIUM -- RESERVOIR OF
NERO -- CHURCH OF S. GREGORIO.

UNDER THE EASTERN HILLS.

THE ROUTE.

_From the Piazza del Popolo we take the left-hand street, the Via Babuino._ The new English church of All Saints is on the right side. At No. 89, _on the left_, lived Valadier.

_We now reach_

THE PIAZZA DI SPAGNA.

This square may be considered as the centre of the English and Americans in Rome. Here they come for most of their requirements, and here a great many live. At No. 1, _the corner_, is the well-known Piale's library and reading-room, the most extensive in Rome, where one may find any information that he requires as to what is going on in the city, and, through the newspapers, what is passing at home. Monti, the poet, lived at No. 9. Mr. Hooker's American Bank is No. 20. Shelley lived at No. 25; and Keats at No. 26, the right-hand corner house, by the steps, where an inscription has lately been put up. This square once formed part of "an artificial lake made by Domitian for the representation of naval fights. The fleets were as numerous as those employed in real engagements" (Suetonius, "Dom." 4).

The principal objects are the fountain LA BARCACCIA, by Bernini, at the foot of the Spanish Stairs. It is here that the model and flower girls most do congregate. The column of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, found in the Campo Marzo, is supported by statues of Moses, David, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. Its summit is crowned by a statue of the Virgin, in bronze, designed by Poletti. It was erected in 1854. _Beyond_ is the Collegio di Propaganda Fide, founded in 1662 by Gregory XV. _Taking the streets on the right of the Propaganda_, VIAS PROPAGANDA _and_ S. ANDREA DELLE FRATTE, _then the_ VIA DEL BUFALO _on the right, turning into the_ VIA POLI _on the left, brings us to_

THE FOUNTAIN OF TREVI,

"which draws its precious water from a source far beyond the walls, whence it flows hitherward through old subterranean aqueducts, and sparkles forth as pure as the virgin who first led Agrippa to its well-spring by her father's door. It is a great palace front, with niches and many bas-reliefs, out of which looks Agrippa's legendary virgin and several of the allegoric sisterhood; while at its base appears Neptune with his floundering steeds, and Tritons blowing their horns, and other artificial fantasies. At the foot of the palatial façade is strewn, with careful art and ordered irregularity, a broad and broken heap of massive rock. Over the central precipice the water falls in a semicircular cascade; and from a hundred crevices, on all sides, snowy jets gush up and streams spout out of the mouths and nostrils of stone monsters; while other rivulets that had run wild come leaping from one rude step to another, over stones that are mossy and ferns planted by nature. Finally, the water, tumbling, sparkling, and dashing, with never-ceasing murmur, pours itself into a great marble-brimmed reservoir. The tradition is, that by taking a parting draught, and throwing a sou in, the traveller will return to Rome, whatever obstacles seem to beset his path." Such is Hawthorne's description of this beautiful fountain.

_Turn to the right_, Via Muratte, the first on the left, Via della Vergine, brings us into the Piazza SS. Apostoli. _On the right_ is the Balestra Palace, where Prince Charlie died in 1788. _On the left is_

THE CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES (SS. Apostoli).

Several fragments are built into the portico, the most interesting of which is the bas-relief of the eagle which once decorated Cæsar's Forum. The church has been entirely redecorated, and is now reopened. In the course of the alterations, in 1873, the bodies of SS. Philip and James the Less were found enclosed in a marble sarcophagus. A new extensive crypt, decorated after the style of the catacombs, has been made to receive these remains.

The heart of Maria Clementina Sobieski is preserved here.

_Just beyond is_

THE COLONNA PALACE.

_Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, from 11 till 3. Entry, 17 Via Archi della Pilotta._

The pictures have the names of the artists on them. In the first room we enter, the collection consists of Colonna portraits; then three rooms of tapestries, and some ancient draped statues, and a pretty statue of a dancing girl, "Niobe."

FIRST ROOM.--Early schools. Holy Family, by Luca Longhi; Boy in a Red Cap, by Giovanni Sanzio, Raphael's father; Crucifixion, by Giacomo di Avanzi; Moses, by Guercino.

SECOND ROOM.--Throne room.

THIRD ROOM.--Guardian Angel, by Guercino; Peasant Eating, by Annibale Carraci,--true to life; S. Jerome, by Lo Spagna; Portrait, by Paul Veronese. _Ceiling_, Apotheosis of Martin V., by Lutti and Battoni.

FOURTH ROOM.--Landscapes, by Poussin; Battle-pieces, by Wouvermans; Sea-shore, by Rosa; Cabinet, with reliefs in ivory; Subjects from the Sistine Chapel.

THE GREAT HALL.--Ornamented with statues and mirrors. Assumption, by Rubens; Roman Charity, by Subtermans; Ecce Homo, by Albano; Narcissus, by Tintoretto; Venus, by Vasari; Rape of the Sabines, by Ghirlandajo; S. Peter, Madonna, and Child, by Palma Vecchio; Venus and Cupid, by Bronzino; another, by Salviati; Madonna Liberating a Child from the Demon, by Nicolo da Poligno.

SIXTH ROOM.--The _Colonna Bellica_, surmounted by a statue of Mars, with low reliefs round the column.

In the Via dei Fornari, _on the right_, at No. 21, lived Michael Angelo.

_Crossing the new Via Nazionale, either of the streets on the sides of the Prefettura leads into_

THE FORUM OF TRAJAN.

This was the largest and grandest of all the fora, being built to one design by the celebrated architect Apollodorus of Damascus (Dion Cassius). No author has given us any detailed account of the beautiful group of buildings that formed this forum, but what passages there are tend to show its magnificence. There was first of all an open space, or the forum proper, surrounded by a double row of shops, one above the other. In the centre of this space was the colossal equestrian statue of the emperor (Marcellinus, xvi. 10). Beyond this, crossing the whole width of the forum, was the basilica called, after the family name of the emperor, Ulpia. Beyond this was the celebrated pillar, behind which stood the Temple of Trajan, with the libraries on either side. The portion excavated is only a small piece of the whole, which extends under the houses all round. The size of the basilica can be made out from the gray granite pillars which once supported the roof. It was sometimes called the Hall of Liberty, from the slaves receiving their freedom here.

THE COLUMN OF TRAJAN.

A magnificent marble pillar, the pedestal of which concealed the chamber where the ashes of the emperor were deposited. The bas-reliefs on the basement are among the most beautiful decorations of ancient or modern times; they represent the arms taken from the Dacians, against whom Trajan had made several campaigns. It marks the height of the Quirinal Hill, cut away to make the open space for the Forum of Trajan in which it stands. A series of bas-reliefs, representing the Dacian war, forms a spiral round the shaft of the pillar. Erected A.D. 114. It is 127 feet high, including the base, and is surmounted by a statue of S. Peter, 11 feet high, placed there by Sixtus V. in the sixteenth century.

The pillar is composed of thirty-four blocks of white marble. The reliefs are two feet high at the bottom, and gradually increase in size as they go upwards, thus making the figures at the top and bottom seem of equal size. There are two thousand five hundred figures, besides animals and other details.

Dion Cassius (Xiphilin, Trajan) says: "He erected in the forum that bears his name a vast pillar, as well to serve as a receptacle for his bones as to be a monument of his magnificence to posterity. In good earnest, it was a piece of work that could not be finished without extraordinary expense, because it was necessary to cut through a mountain as high as the pillar, to make the level for the forum."

"The bones of Trajan were put into the pillar we have mentioned; and, to reverence his memory, sports were celebrated for several years after, which were called Parthica" (Dion Cassius, "Hadrian").

"Trajan, of all the emperors, was buried within the city. His bones, being put up in a golden urn, lie in the forum which he built, under a pillar, whose height is 144 feet, Roman" (Eutropius).

_Going down the_ VIA ALESSANDRINA, _which commences at the left-hand corner of the above forum, as we come into it, take the first turning on the left_, VIA CAMPO CARLEO. _The gate on the left leads to the_ double row of shops that surrounded the Forum of Trajan. _Custodi at the Forum. Following this street, we pass the_ medieval Torre del Grillo _on our left. On our right_ are massive remains of the SECOND WALL OF ROME. (See page xviii.) _Turning to the right under the arch, we are within_

THE FORUM OF AUGUSTUS.

"The reason of his building a new forum was the vast increase in the population, and the number of cases to be tried in the courts; for which the two already existing not affording sufficient space, it was thought necessary to have a third. He placed statues of the great Roman generals in both the porticoes of his forum. In building his forum, he restricted himself in the site, not presuming to compel the owners of the neighbouring houses to give up their property" (Suetonius, "Augustus," lvi.).

It was restored by the Emperor Hadrian (Spartianus).

THE TEMPLE OF MARS ULTOR,

the Avenger. Vowed by Augustus at the battle of Philippi, B.C. 42, and erected by him in the centre of his new forum.

Three beautiful pillars, and part of the wall of the cella and of the roof of the vestibule, still exist near the Arco dei Pantani, which owes its medieval name to the marshes caused by the water collecting in this neighbourhood. They stand upon a substruction only excavated a few years ago, and present one of the finest specimens extant of a temple, all the essential parts of which have been preserved. The gigantic walls of rectangular blocks of tufa, into which the travertine arch already mentioned was introduced for the purpose of forming a communication with the other part of the city, are most imposing, and formed part of the second wall of Rome and the boundary of the Forum of Augustus.

"The Temple of Mars was built in fulfilment of a vow made during the war of Philippi, undertaken by him to avenge his (adopted) father's murder. He ordained that the senate should always assemble there when they met to deliberate respecting wars and triumphs; that thence should be despatched all those who were sent into the provinces in the command of armies; and that in it those who returned victorious from the wars should lodge the trophies of their triumphs" (Suetonius, "Augustus," xxix.).

"The Emperor Augustus, being consul with Caninius Gallus, gratified the eyes and minds of the Roman people, on the occasion of dedicating the Temple to Mars, with the most magnificent spectacles of gladiators and a sea-fight" (Velleius Paterculus, ii. 100).

By entering the stonemason's yard, _opposite_ the temple, we can see the travertine niches built by Augustus up against the wall of the kings, to receive the statues which he put up in the porticoes.

_Passing down this street, Via Bonella, in the direction of the Roman Forum, on our right, No. 44, green door, is_

THE ACADEMY OF S. LUCA.

_Open every day from 9 till 3. Fee, half a franc._ The principal pictures are:--

_In the Large Hall._--11. Bacchus and Ariadne, by Poussin. 13. Virgin and Child, by Vandyck. S. Jerome, a sketch, by Titian. 22. Thirty-five sea-pieces, by Vernet. 40. Vanity, by P. Veronese. 49. Vanity, by Titian. 54. A Seaport, by Claude.

_Room of Portraits._--A portrait of Virginie Le Brun, by herself; Iris, by Head; and a portrait of H.R.H. the late Duke of Sussex, in the costume of an officer of a Highland Regiment. 238. The skull shown in S. Luca belonged to Don Desiderio de Adintorlo, founder, in 1542, of the Society of the Virtuosi.

_Saloon of Raphael._--Bacchus and Ariadne, by Guido Reni. 28. Susanna, by P. Veronese. 29. Calista and Nymphs, by Titian. 22. Venus and Cupid, by Guercino. 25. Tarquin and Lucretia, by Guido Cagnacci. 26. The Galatea, copied by Giulio Romano. 27. Fortune, by Guido Reni. 15. S. Luke Painting the Virgin, by Raphael. A Boy, fresco, by Raphael (very beautiful and life-like), formerly in a room of the Vatican.

_Resuming our ramble up the Via Bonella, we take the_ VIA ALESSANDRINA, _on the right; and the_ VIA CROCE BIANCA, _on the left._ This was the site of

THE FORUM OF NERVA.

"Domitian erected a forum, which is now called Nerva's" (Suetonius, "Domitian," v.). It was known by several names, being called after Domitian, because he commenced it; Nerva, because he finished it; Pervium, because it was a thoroughfare; Pallas and Minerva, from the temple that stood in it, and which was destroyed by Pope Paul V. to build the fountain on the Janiculum; it was also called Transitorium, because a street passed through it for traffic. The only remains left are, _on the right_,

THE ALTAR OF MINERVA,

the prettiest bit of ruin in Rome, consisting of Corinthian columns, which support an architrave adorned with a frieze, and divided by ressauts, and an attic above. On the attic is a colossal figure of Minerva, represented in relief as the patroness of labour; on the architrave the goddess appears engaged in instructing young girls in various female occupations, and in punishing the insolence of Arachne, who had ventured to compete with her in the labours of the loom.

The wall upon which this altar stands was also a piece of the wall of the kings: in it was evidently a gateway, which was filled in when the wall was utilized for the altar. In the yard of the large new house opposite remains of a tower can be seen, probably the tower called Turris Mamilia. (See Festus.)

_Leaving this ruin on our right, we proceed up the Via Croce Bianca, into the_ VIA MADONNA DEI MONTI, _the district of the Suburra._ (_Carriages must proceed straight on down the Via di Torre di Conti, and turn up the first street to the left._)

SITE OF THE HOUSE OF POMPEY.

The TORRE DI CONTI, _on the right_, is a massive tower of the middle ages, built as a fortress, and supposed to stand on the site of the Temple of the Earth. "Lenæus, the grammarian, opened a school in the Carinæ, near the Temple of the Earth, where stood the house of the Pompeys" (Suetonius, "Grammarians," xv.). "Tiberius removed from Pompey's house in the Carinæ" (Suetonius, "Tiberius," xv.). "The house of Cassius was demolished; and to this day the place remains void, except that part on which they afterwards built the Temple of the Earth, which stands in the street leading to the Carinæ" (Dionysius, viii. 79).

_Going up that street_, we come to some old steps, _on our right_, at the top of which is the lane that led down from the Carinæ to the Vicus Cyprius, across which was the Sister's Yoke (Dionysius, iii. 22).

The house at the top of the steps was the

HOUSE OF LUCREZIA BORGIA.

Here Cæsar Borgia, Francesco, Duke of Gandia, and Lucrezia, supped with their mother Vanozza, on the evening that Cæsar assassinated the duke, and had his body thrown into the Tiber, where it was afterwards found by a fisherman, pierced with nine wounds. _The dark archway leads to the_

CHURCH OF S. PETER IN VINCOLI.

(_The Chains of Peter._)

It has three aisles, with twenty Doric columns of Greek marble, and two of granite, which support the middle arch. On the first altar, to the right, there is S. Augustin, by Guercino. On the right of the high altar is the famous statue of MOSES, by MICHAEL ANGELO, rendered hideous by two horns sticking out from the forehead. Although we read that Moses was a horny man, it does not follow that he had horns, but that his flesh was hard like horn. The S. Margherita, in the adjacent chapel, is by Guercino; the tribune of the high altar was painted by I. Coppi. The new confessional, built by Pius IX., contains the tomb of the seven Maccabees. Here also are preserved the chains of S. Peter. The last altar but one of the other aisle has a S. Sebastian, a mosaic of the seventh century. In the sacristy there are the Liberation of S. Peter, by Domenichino; a Holy Family and Faith, of the school of G. Romano. Guido Reni's Hope was in this church, but it has been replaced by a copy, the original having been sold to an Irish gentleman.

_From the front of the church a lane on our left_, VIA DELLA POLVERIERA, _leads, left_ (_carriage right_), _to the_ VIA LABICANE, _a short distance up which is the entrance to_

NERO'S GOLDEN HOUSE.

_Entrance through a gate on the left; one of the custodi speaks English. Fee, one lira; Sundays, free._