DOI Kapitel:
Chap. VI: Observations on Ancient Names - On Roman Architecture - Defects of the Modern Style - Progress of the Art - Papal Government - Its Character - Consequences of the French Invasion and Preponderance of the present and future State of Rome
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.62268#0222
212 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. VL
long formed the most conspicuous feature in its
neighborhood.
The Piazza though derived from Platea might
be replaced by the ancient Foro, and in some
cases by the Circo ; and euphony at least would
not suffer from the change of Piazza Navona
and Piazza di San Pietro into Circo Agonale
and Foro Vaticano*.
The seven hills still retaintheir ancient appel-
lations, except the Quirinal, which is more fre-
* Some German writers insist that Piazza comes from
Platz: I cannot agree with them. The Germans were un-
acquainted with the thing signified by the word Platea, and
of course with the word itself, till in some degree civilized
by their intercourse with the Romans. They had no towns
originally, and consequently neither streets nor squares.
*
“ Nullas Germanorum populis,’’ says Tacitus, “ urbes ha-
bitari, satis notum est: ne pati quidem inter se junctas sedes.
Colunt discreti ac diversi ut fons, ut campus, ut nenjus
placuit*,” &c. This custom of living in separate hovels re-
mained long after their acquaintance with the Romans, as
Ammianus Marcellinus, in his account of the Roman wars in
Germany three hundred years after the time of Tacitus,
makes no mention of towns. At last they adopted the more
commodious mode of dwelling in use among their neighbors^
* Tacitus Germania, xvi.
long formed the most conspicuous feature in its
neighborhood.
The Piazza though derived from Platea might
be replaced by the ancient Foro, and in some
cases by the Circo ; and euphony at least would
not suffer from the change of Piazza Navona
and Piazza di San Pietro into Circo Agonale
and Foro Vaticano*.
The seven hills still retaintheir ancient appel-
lations, except the Quirinal, which is more fre-
* Some German writers insist that Piazza comes from
Platz: I cannot agree with them. The Germans were un-
acquainted with the thing signified by the word Platea, and
of course with the word itself, till in some degree civilized
by their intercourse with the Romans. They had no towns
originally, and consequently neither streets nor squares.
*
“ Nullas Germanorum populis,’’ says Tacitus, “ urbes ha-
bitari, satis notum est: ne pati quidem inter se junctas sedes.
Colunt discreti ac diversi ut fons, ut campus, ut nenjus
placuit*,” &c. This custom of living in separate hovels re-
mained long after their acquaintance with the Romans, as
Ammianus Marcellinus, in his account of the Roman wars in
Germany three hundred years after the time of Tacitus,
makes no mention of towns. At last they adopted the more
commodious mode of dwelling in use among their neighbors^
* Tacitus Germania, xvi.