Parker, John Henry: The archaeology of Rome (1,text): I. The primitive fortifications (Oxford [u.a.], 1874)

vi

PREFACE.

of the Aventine to that of the Ccelian. The fort at the north-east
corner of the Coelian protected two other gates at the inner ends
of other gorges, one in the southern cliff, now the entrance to the
Piazza della Navicella from the Porta Metronia; the other in the
western cliff, going up nearly to the arch of Dolabella. That arch
was the entrance into that part of the hill which was afterwards called
the Claudium, made in another ancient fort on the south-western
angle of the Coelian, extending nearly to the site of the Colosseum.
The scarped cliffs are very distinct on three sides. The Clivus
Scauri passes between these two ancient forts on the western side
of the hill. Between the Claudium and the other part of the
Coelian is another gorge, and the narrow end of this nearly meets
that before-mentioned, near the arch of Dolabella. It would appear
that the western end of the Ccelian, almost detached from the hill,
was the arx or citadel of that hill as a separate fortress. On the
north side of the hill, the church and monastery of the Santi Quattro
Coronati stands, evidently in another ancient fort, with the cliff
visible on three sides of it, and a trench on the south, cutting it
off from the rest of the hill. This protected another gate, where
the church of S. Clement now stands. Between the east end of the
Coelian and the Lateran fortress is another wide and deep foss,
partly natural and partly cut, with walls against the cliffs on both
sides, and tombs on both sides also, shewing that it was outside
of the City. The Lateran has been probably made in the Cceliolum.
The church of S. Clement, which stands upon another of these short
aggeres, connected the Coelian fortress and the Esquiline fortified
hill; the southern and eastern cliffs of that hill carry on the line
to the junction with the great agger on the eastern side of Rome.
There are remains of the ancient fortifications of the Viminal on
the cliff opposite to S. Vitale, and of the Quirinal in the Colonna
Gardens, and in part of the gardens of Sallust (now those of Spitho-
ever). The arx of the Esquiline was probably where the church of
S. Pietro in Vincoli now stands, where the cliffs and the trenches
are very visible; that of the Viminal was probably where the ruins
of towers were excavated in 1871, as mentioned ; that of the Quirinal
was probably where the great palace is now situated.
All these separate fortresses were, of course, merged in the city
of Servius Tullius. This third City of Rome was made by uniting
the seven hills in one enclosure, making use of the previous
ancient fortifications of separate villages, uniting them by aggeres,
or banks of earth, faced with walls having deep and wide trenches
in front of them, across the valley from the scarped cliffs of one