DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0193
SECT. I.]
The Pomoerium of the Empire.
93
pomoerium, but afterwards. For it is not permitted that any of the Emperors
should add to thepomoerium, unless he has enriched the Roman State by wresting
some portion of territory from the barbarian. Augustus, however, made additions,
so did Trajan, and so did Nero, under whose rule the Pontus Polemoniacus and
the Cottian Alps became tributary to the Roman swayd.”
A passage in Tacitus should likewise be taken in connection with
the two foregoing extracts. The passage in question precedes the
incidental mention of the tradition respecting the pomoerium of
Romulus round the Palatine, which has already been discussed in
a previous section.
“And the people of Ituraea and Judaea, on the death of their kings, Sohaemus
and Agrippa, were annexed to the province of Syria. It was agreed that the
auguries for the good of the state, which for five-and-twenty years had been
neglected, should be performed and henceforth continued regularly. And the
Emperor (Claudius) added to thepomoerium, according to the ancient rites, which
permit only those who have added to the empire, to add to the boundaries of the
city. None, however, of the Roman captains, although they have subdued whole
nations, have exercised the privilege except Sylla and the divine Augustus
Then follows the history of the first building of Rome, and of the
institution of the rite. The section concludes :—
“Afterwards, as [Rome’s] prosperity, so her pomoerium was increased. The
boundaries which Claudius then fixed can easily be ascertained, and are registered
at length in the public recordsf.”
From the above extracts, then, we gather, first, that the pretext
for this was not because the Aventine required fortification, or be-
cause it was not fortified, that it was included within the pomoerium,
but wholly on superstitious grounds, the advancement of the pomoe-
ruim being a religious rite. Secondly, that though Aurelian advanced
the line of the walls, as well as the pomoerium, one did not involve
the other, as they were each done at separate times, and were quite
distinct. Thirdly, that in the time of Claudius a rite which had
fallen out of use was revived for
d “ His actis . . . adhibito consilio
Senatus, muros urbis Romse dilatavit;
nec tamen pomcerio addidit eo tempore,
sed posted. Pomoerio autem nemini
principum licet addere, nisi ei qui agri
Barbarici aliqua parte Romanam Rem-
publicam locupletaverit. Addidit autem
Augustus, addidit Trajanus, addidit
Nero, sub quo Pontus Polemoniacus et
Alpes Cottiae Romano nomini tributae.”
(Vopiscus in Vita Aureliani, c. 21.)
e “Ituraeique et Judaei, defunctis re-
gibus, Sohaemo atque Agrippa, pro-
vincial Syriae additi. Salutis augurium,
the “good of the state,” and the
quinque et viginti annis omissum, re-
peti, ac deinde continuari, placitum. Et
pomoerium auxit Caesar, more prisco ;
quo iis, qui protulere Imperium, etiam
terminos urbis propagare datur. Nec
tamen Duces Romani, quanquam mag-
nis nationibus subactis, usurpaverant,
nisi L. Sylla et divus Augustus.” (Taciti
Annales, lib. xii. c. 23.)
f “ Mox pro fortuna pomoerium auc-
tum. Et, quos turn Claudius terminos
posuerit, facile cognitum et pu blicis actis
perscriptum.” (Ibid., c. 24.)
The Pomoerium of the Empire.
93
pomoerium, but afterwards. For it is not permitted that any of the Emperors
should add to thepomoerium, unless he has enriched the Roman State by wresting
some portion of territory from the barbarian. Augustus, however, made additions,
so did Trajan, and so did Nero, under whose rule the Pontus Polemoniacus and
the Cottian Alps became tributary to the Roman swayd.”
A passage in Tacitus should likewise be taken in connection with
the two foregoing extracts. The passage in question precedes the
incidental mention of the tradition respecting the pomoerium of
Romulus round the Palatine, which has already been discussed in
a previous section.
“And the people of Ituraea and Judaea, on the death of their kings, Sohaemus
and Agrippa, were annexed to the province of Syria. It was agreed that the
auguries for the good of the state, which for five-and-twenty years had been
neglected, should be performed and henceforth continued regularly. And the
Emperor (Claudius) added to thepomoerium, according to the ancient rites, which
permit only those who have added to the empire, to add to the boundaries of the
city. None, however, of the Roman captains, although they have subdued whole
nations, have exercised the privilege except Sylla and the divine Augustus
Then follows the history of the first building of Rome, and of the
institution of the rite. The section concludes :—
“Afterwards, as [Rome’s] prosperity, so her pomoerium was increased. The
boundaries which Claudius then fixed can easily be ascertained, and are registered
at length in the public recordsf.”
From the above extracts, then, we gather, first, that the pretext
for this was not because the Aventine required fortification, or be-
cause it was not fortified, that it was included within the pomoerium,
but wholly on superstitious grounds, the advancement of the pomoe-
ruim being a religious rite. Secondly, that though Aurelian advanced
the line of the walls, as well as the pomoerium, one did not involve
the other, as they were each done at separate times, and were quite
distinct. Thirdly, that in the time of Claudius a rite which had
fallen out of use was revived for
d “ His actis . . . adhibito consilio
Senatus, muros urbis Romse dilatavit;
nec tamen pomcerio addidit eo tempore,
sed posted. Pomoerio autem nemini
principum licet addere, nisi ei qui agri
Barbarici aliqua parte Romanam Rem-
publicam locupletaverit. Addidit autem
Augustus, addidit Trajanus, addidit
Nero, sub quo Pontus Polemoniacus et
Alpes Cottiae Romano nomini tributae.”
(Vopiscus in Vita Aureliani, c. 21.)
e “Ituraeique et Judaei, defunctis re-
gibus, Sohaemo atque Agrippa, pro-
vincial Syriae additi. Salutis augurium,
the “good of the state,” and the
quinque et viginti annis omissum, re-
peti, ac deinde continuari, placitum. Et
pomoerium auxit Caesar, more prisco ;
quo iis, qui protulere Imperium, etiam
terminos urbis propagare datur. Nec
tamen Duces Romani, quanquam mag-
nis nationibus subactis, usurpaverant,
nisi L. Sylla et divus Augustus.” (Taciti
Annales, lib. xii. c. 23.)
f “ Mox pro fortuna pomoerium auc-
tum. Et, quos turn Claudius terminos
posuerit, facile cognitum et pu blicis actis
perscriptum.” (Ibid., c. 24.)