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

SECT. VI.]

The Cceliolus.

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called the Coelian Hill, or all that portion which lies to the east of
the Navicella and the Arch of Dolabella, with the gorges on that
side of the Claudium, and the ancient fortress on which the Villa
Mattei stands. This western half of the Coelian certainly- appears
to have been separated from the eastern part by a great foss in the
original fortifications, but there is every reason to believe that the
whole of the Coelian as far as the valley and foss, between the east
end of it and the Lateran, was included in the city of Servius
Tullius. Others consider the Cceliolus as the hill now occupied by
the Lateran and the Sessorium, or Sante Croce. The latter is again
separated from the Lateran fortress by a distinct foss, but the two
may be considered as occupying one hill, outside of the City.
The road from Sante Croce to the Porta Maggiore is carried upon
an agger supported on the western side by a wall of the time of
Constantine, built no doubt when his mother, S. Helena, lived in that
fortified palace called the Sessorium, to which the Amphitheatrum
Castrense and the Circus Varianus were appendages. This is sepa-
rated from the bank on which the Villa Volkonski now stands by
a very decided and large foss or valley. The site of that villa and
of the one now called the Villa Massimo have been another fortress
at some early period; a portion of the foss that separated that from
the Lateran has been filled up in part since 1866. But it may have
been originally all one fortress to protect this side of the city, and
subdivided afterwards.