DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0080
28
Primitive Fortifications.
[CHAP. I.
‘ ‘ But when they had set out to found a city in common, straightway there
arose a difference about the site. Romulus desired to found what is called
‘ Roma quadrata, ’ which means quadrangular, and to build a city on the spot;
but Remus was in favour of a strong position on the Aventine, which from him
was named Remuria, and is now called Rignarium s. ”
The platform of the hill was fortified by scarping the cliff of the
upper part and making terraces below, forming a zigzag approach
from the foss-way at the bottom to the top of the hill.
“ Raising the wall of the Palatium with loftier terraces so as to be a secure de-
fence to those within, intercepting by a ditch the heights which lay over against it,
and surrounding them with strong ramparts [or palisades11].”
In the following passage we have the deep ditches and high walls
both mentioned :—
‘ ‘ After the ditch, therefore, was finished, the wall perfected, the necessary
structures of the houses completed, and the juncture required they should consider
also what form of government they were to establish, Romulus called the people
together by the order of his grandfather, who had also suggested to him what he
was to say, and told them that, indeed, ‘ The city, considering it was newly built,
was sufficiently adorned both with public and private edifices : but he desired they
would all consider that these were not the most valuable things in cities. For
neither in foreign wars are deep ditches and high walls sufficient ”
Having obtained a general notion of what the pomoerium is, we
come to the special application of the word to the limits of the
city of Romulus. There has been much dispute as to this line of
the boundary or foss, the arguments resting upon the interpretation
given to an important passage in Tacitus.
Tacitus writes :—
‘ ‘ But it is well, I think, to know as to the beginning of the building [of the
city], and what was \Pe. pomcerium which Romulus made [round it]. The furrow,
then, which marked out the line of the city was begun from the (i.) Forum Boa-
rium, .... so that it should include the great altar of Hercules. Thence the
[boundary] stones were cast in at regular distances, [namely], at the (2.) altar
of Consus, next at the (3.) old Law Courts, then at the cell of (4, 5-) Larunda,
or the Lares, and at the Roman Forum; and the Capitol [which?] is believed
to have been added to the city, not by Romulus, but by Titus Tatiusk.”
g Plut. Rom., c. ix.
11 Dionys. Ant., ii. 37.
1 Ibid., 3.
k “ Sed initium condendi et quod
pomerium Romulus posuerit noscere
haud absurdum reor.
‘‘ Igitur a foro Boario ubi sereum tauri
simulacrum aspicimus, quia id genus
animalium aratro subditur, sulcus de-
signandi oppidi ceeptus, ut niagnam
Herculis aram amplecteretur.
“Inde certis spatiis interjecti lapi-
des, per ima montis Palatini,—ad aram
Consi,
“ Mox ad Curias veteres,
“Turn ad sacellum Larundce \La-
rium\,
“ Forumque Romanum ; et Capito-
lium non a Romulo sed a Tito Tatio
additum urbi credidere.” (Taciti An-
nales, xii. 24.)
Primitive Fortifications.
[CHAP. I.
‘ ‘ But when they had set out to found a city in common, straightway there
arose a difference about the site. Romulus desired to found what is called
‘ Roma quadrata, ’ which means quadrangular, and to build a city on the spot;
but Remus was in favour of a strong position on the Aventine, which from him
was named Remuria, and is now called Rignarium s. ”
The platform of the hill was fortified by scarping the cliff of the
upper part and making terraces below, forming a zigzag approach
from the foss-way at the bottom to the top of the hill.
“ Raising the wall of the Palatium with loftier terraces so as to be a secure de-
fence to those within, intercepting by a ditch the heights which lay over against it,
and surrounding them with strong ramparts [or palisades11].”
In the following passage we have the deep ditches and high walls
both mentioned :—
‘ ‘ After the ditch, therefore, was finished, the wall perfected, the necessary
structures of the houses completed, and the juncture required they should consider
also what form of government they were to establish, Romulus called the people
together by the order of his grandfather, who had also suggested to him what he
was to say, and told them that, indeed, ‘ The city, considering it was newly built,
was sufficiently adorned both with public and private edifices : but he desired they
would all consider that these were not the most valuable things in cities. For
neither in foreign wars are deep ditches and high walls sufficient ”
Having obtained a general notion of what the pomoerium is, we
come to the special application of the word to the limits of the
city of Romulus. There has been much dispute as to this line of
the boundary or foss, the arguments resting upon the interpretation
given to an important passage in Tacitus.
Tacitus writes :—
‘ ‘ But it is well, I think, to know as to the beginning of the building [of the
city], and what was \Pe. pomcerium which Romulus made [round it]. The furrow,
then, which marked out the line of the city was begun from the (i.) Forum Boa-
rium, .... so that it should include the great altar of Hercules. Thence the
[boundary] stones were cast in at regular distances, [namely], at the (2.) altar
of Consus, next at the (3.) old Law Courts, then at the cell of (4, 5-) Larunda,
or the Lares, and at the Roman Forum; and the Capitol [which?] is believed
to have been added to the city, not by Romulus, but by Titus Tatiusk.”
g Plut. Rom., c. ix.
11 Dionys. Ant., ii. 37.
1 Ibid., 3.
k “ Sed initium condendi et quod
pomerium Romulus posuerit noscere
haud absurdum reor.
‘‘ Igitur a foro Boario ubi sereum tauri
simulacrum aspicimus, quia id genus
animalium aratro subditur, sulcus de-
signandi oppidi ceeptus, ut niagnam
Herculis aram amplecteretur.
“Inde certis spatiis interjecti lapi-
des, per ima montis Palatini,—ad aram
Consi,
“ Mox ad Curias veteres,
“Turn ad sacellum Larundce \La-
rium\,
“ Forumque Romanum ; et Capito-
lium non a Romulo sed a Tito Tatio
additum urbi credidere.” (Taciti An-
nales, xii. 24.)