DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0190
9°
The Later Fortifications.
[CHAP. II.
The Amphitheatrum Castrense, forming part of the wall, is of
brickwork of about this period, but whether belonging to his reign or
that of his successors is a doubtful question b. Between the Sesso-
rium and the angle at which the Porta Metronia stands there are
stone towers of an age which may be that of Claudius or earlier.
The walls of the Lateran Palace, too, form an important part of the
fortification in this direction.
Passing round the promontory (the enclosure of which we have
assumed to be the work of Augustus) and meeting the old line of the
Kings on the south side of the Pseudo-Aventine, we find again the
work of Claudius. He seems to have enclosed the large space of
ground which lies on the south of the Aventine, as hitherto the
Emporium and the other great commercial storehouses had been
outside the walls. The wall of Claudius was, like the walls of Sylla
and Augustus, made use of as the substructure of the wall of Aure-
lian as far as this wall reached. Where the wall of Aurelian ceases
the wall of Claudius is still to be seen when the water is low, ex-
tending along the eastern bank of the Tiber for some distance. It
probably went as far as the Emporium only.
With regard to the Transtiberine region, as it clearly formed one
of the Regiones of Augustus, there is every probability of its having
been enclosed by a wall in his time. It is true that there is not the
same evidence which is seen in other parts of the wall of Aurelian
having been built on a former wall, but this probably arises from the
very imperfect remains which we possess on account of the destruc-
tion by the Goths. Were the wall as perfect here as in some other
parts, there is reason to think that the same evidence of two different
periods would be visible.
b The wall of Aurelian passes in a
straight line behind this building, which
was used as an outwork, and therefore
there are neither towers nor corridors
in the inner wall, but the brickwork is
of his time. The space between the
outer wall and the inner one appears to
have been used as a trap for the Goths
by Belisarius, as admirably described
by Procopius.
The Later Fortifications.
[CHAP. II.
The Amphitheatrum Castrense, forming part of the wall, is of
brickwork of about this period, but whether belonging to his reign or
that of his successors is a doubtful question b. Between the Sesso-
rium and the angle at which the Porta Metronia stands there are
stone towers of an age which may be that of Claudius or earlier.
The walls of the Lateran Palace, too, form an important part of the
fortification in this direction.
Passing round the promontory (the enclosure of which we have
assumed to be the work of Augustus) and meeting the old line of the
Kings on the south side of the Pseudo-Aventine, we find again the
work of Claudius. He seems to have enclosed the large space of
ground which lies on the south of the Aventine, as hitherto the
Emporium and the other great commercial storehouses had been
outside the walls. The wall of Claudius was, like the walls of Sylla
and Augustus, made use of as the substructure of the wall of Aure-
lian as far as this wall reached. Where the wall of Aurelian ceases
the wall of Claudius is still to be seen when the water is low, ex-
tending along the eastern bank of the Tiber for some distance. It
probably went as far as the Emporium only.
With regard to the Transtiberine region, as it clearly formed one
of the Regiones of Augustus, there is every probability of its having
been enclosed by a wall in his time. It is true that there is not the
same evidence which is seen in other parts of the wall of Aurelian
having been built on a former wall, but this probably arises from the
very imperfect remains which we possess on account of the destruc-
tion by the Goths. Were the wall as perfect here as in some other
parts, there is reason to think that the same evidence of two different
periods would be visible.
b The wall of Aurelian passes in a
straight line behind this building, which
was used as an outwork, and therefore
there are neither towers nor corridors
in the inner wall, but the brickwork is
of his time. The space between the
outer wall and the inner one appears to
have been used as a trap for the Goths
by Belisarius, as admirably described
by Procopius.