DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0339
APPENDIX TO THE HISTORICAL MODES OF
CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS.
The Capitolium, or Municipium a, &c.—Introduction.
The chronological succession of the Construction of Walls, and
the architectural details connected with them, form the foundation
of the modern science of Archaeology, the system of Rickman (who
was the first to reduce chaos into order), as perfected by Professor
Willis. In Rome this is of the greatest importance, it is the one
test by which the truth or falsehood of the legendary history can be
ascertained. The early history of all nations is legendary only, that
is to say, it was handed down from father to son for many genera-
tions, before it was committed to writing, as the history of the family,
or the tribe, or the people. The early Romans appear to have been
especially careful to preserve records of their acts and their history,
which were recorded on bronze plates (these were in substance not
unlike our concise Saxon Chronicle, the foundation and the skeleton
of the early history of England); that such bronze records were kept
as early as the days of the kings of Rome, is proved by the fact that
a building was erected for their preservation at that period, called
the Tabularium, for the bronze plates or tables of the records. This
was over the PErarium or Public Treasury; the copper money
for paying the army being kept in part of the same public building.
This building is mentioned by Terentius Varro as one of those that
were extant in his time, which were then considered to have be-
longed to the original city of the Sabines on the hill of Saturn,
before that hill was made the Capitol of the united City. This
building still exists, and the architectural character of it, the con-
struction of the walls, and the details, are of as early character as
any building in Rome, very similar to, though not identical with,
the primitive fortifications on the north end of the Palatine Hill,
of the character called Etruscan, which must have been also built
a The account of this great building,
called by various names, which con-
tained the AErarium or Treasury, the
Tabularium or Record Office, and the
Senaculum or Senate-house, would be-
long more naturally to that chapter of
this work which describes Regio VIII.,
the Forum Romanum ; but the great
and important excavations that are going
on there at the present time under the
Italian Government, make it expedient
to keep back that part of the work,
while the chapter on the Historical
Construction of Walls is wanted to
illustrate and prove all the other parts
of the work. It is therefore introduced
here as the earliest dated building in
Rome,
CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS.
The Capitolium, or Municipium a, &c.—Introduction.
The chronological succession of the Construction of Walls, and
the architectural details connected with them, form the foundation
of the modern science of Archaeology, the system of Rickman (who
was the first to reduce chaos into order), as perfected by Professor
Willis. In Rome this is of the greatest importance, it is the one
test by which the truth or falsehood of the legendary history can be
ascertained. The early history of all nations is legendary only, that
is to say, it was handed down from father to son for many genera-
tions, before it was committed to writing, as the history of the family,
or the tribe, or the people. The early Romans appear to have been
especially careful to preserve records of their acts and their history,
which were recorded on bronze plates (these were in substance not
unlike our concise Saxon Chronicle, the foundation and the skeleton
of the early history of England); that such bronze records were kept
as early as the days of the kings of Rome, is proved by the fact that
a building was erected for their preservation at that period, called
the Tabularium, for the bronze plates or tables of the records. This
was over the PErarium or Public Treasury; the copper money
for paying the army being kept in part of the same public building.
This building is mentioned by Terentius Varro as one of those that
were extant in his time, which were then considered to have be-
longed to the original city of the Sabines on the hill of Saturn,
before that hill was made the Capitol of the united City. This
building still exists, and the architectural character of it, the con-
struction of the walls, and the details, are of as early character as
any building in Rome, very similar to, though not identical with,
the primitive fortifications on the north end of the Palatine Hill,
of the character called Etruscan, which must have been also built
a The account of this great building,
called by various names, which con-
tained the AErarium or Treasury, the
Tabularium or Record Office, and the
Senaculum or Senate-house, would be-
long more naturally to that chapter of
this work which describes Regio VIII.,
the Forum Romanum ; but the great
and important excavations that are going
on there at the present time under the
Italian Government, make it expedient
to keep back that part of the work,
while the chapter on the Historical
Construction of Walls is wanted to
illustrate and prove all the other parts
of the work. It is therefore introduced
here as the earliest dated building in
Rome,