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

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The Primitive Fortifications.

[chap. i.

opposite to the Capitol are of the highest interest, and may be called
a key to the whole early history of Rome and of architecture. The
construction of three distinct periods is here plainly marked, and
the succession of them is shewn in such a manner that there can be
no mistaking them or disputing them. At the western end of this
face of the Palatine there is the wall of distinctly Etruscan character,
extending for the length of fourteen or fifteen yards, built up against
the scarped cliff on the top of the hill. This is now generally called
the wall of Romulus, and could hardly have been built at any later
time, because, after the Capitol and the Palatine were made into
one city, there was no need of a strong fortification between them.
This wall is of the usual character of those called the walls of
the Kings or the Etruscan walls, and is exactly like the wall of the
Etruscan city of Fiesoli and many others, where the same building-
material is found. It is built of large quadrangular blocks of tufa
split off the rock, not cut with any tool, and put together without
lime-mortar or cement of any kind. Such a wall might be of any
period, as being the cheapest mode of building with that material;
but against this, and in some parts upon it, walls of the well-known
character of the Republic and of the Empire are built.
Behind this wall also, on the eastern side of it, is a large cave-
cistern, or reservoir of rain-water, excavated out of a soft bed of
the tufa rock of the cliff between two hard beds. It has been en-
larged at different times, and a specus or channel for carrying the
rain-water into it from different parts of the hill has in one or two
places been made. In the natural vault or rock above are three
circular openings of the shape of a funnel reversed, that is, the wider
part at the bottom, evidently used as wells to draw up water from
the cistern. This great cave-cistern is almost an exact copy of
one at Alba Longa, by the side of the citadel, only the one at Alba
appears evidently older, and the rock is harder, so that no cement
is used there. On the Palatine cement is used, both to line the
cistern and the funnels; but this is possibly of later introduction,
and may have been originally clay only, such as was usual in the
early aqueducts. Upon the surface of the wall there is a coat of
the calcareous deposit from water.
In continuation of this wall of Romulus is a considerable piece
of the wall of the Republic, probably of the time of Sylla, built of
concrete the whole height of the cliff, about thirty feet. The sur-
face in this is divided by a series of vertical grooves of large size,
evidently where beams of timber have been inserted to support the
concrete when fresh. These have decayed or have been removed,