DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0463
PONS CALIGULAE—PONS CESTIUS
399
9. 11) : pons Antonini in arenula (Graphia 10), pons Ianicularis id est
pons ruptus vulgariter nominatus et tremulus et Antoninus (Anon. Magi.
158, Urlichs). This was partially destroyed in 772, hence the name
ruptus, and rebuilt in 1475 in its present shape by Sixtus IV, from whom
comes its modern name, Ponte Sisto. The start of the first arch of the
older bridge may still be seen. If this identification be correct, the
bridge must have been built by an emperor who bore both names,
Marcus Aurelius or Caracalla, and perhaps by the latter rather than the
former, as he could thus bring the buildings of Severus (Hist. Aug. Sev.
19) into closer connection with the campus Martius.
In 1878, in the river immediately below the first arch of the Ponte
Sisto, were found remains of an earlier bridge and also of a memorial
arch which stood at its entrance (BC 1878, 241 ; 1881, II ; cf. NS 1892,
50, 234-235 ; Mitt. 1911, 238-259). On some of these remains are
fragmentary inscriptions (CIL vi. 31402-31412 ; ILS 769) which record
the rebuilding of arch and bridge by Valentinian I in 365-366 a.d.
Some pieces of bronze statues were also found (PT 179, 195, 197)· This
proves that the pons Antoninus was restored by Valentinian, and explains
a reference in Ammianus (xxvii. 3. 3). The name, pons Valentinianus,
must have been in use to some extent in later times, together with the
earlier, for in the Mirabilia (il) both names are found, although, by an
error, they are used of different bridges. It is apparent that the impres-
sion made on the Romans by the rebuilding of Valentinian was not strong
enough to cause the displacement of the earlier names, pons Antoninus,
pons Aurelius, by the new official designation (Jord. i. I. 417-420 ;
ii. 192-195, 436; Mayerhofer, Gesch.-Topograph. Studien 44-46, 114 ;
DuP 58). A fragment of a fluviometer was also found (BC 1892, 139-145)·
Pons Caligulae : a foot bridge built by Caligula over the temple of Augustus
and across the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline, to connect
his own palace with the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (Suet. Cal. 22).
This was removed after his death, and nothing is known of its size or
appearance (HJ 85 ; LR 125 ; Pagan and Christian Rome IOI-IO2 ; Mitt.
1893, 264 ; see Domus Tiberiana).
Pons Cestius : the modern Ponte S. Bartolomeo, the first stone bridge
from the island to the right bank of the river. It is mentioned only
in Not. app. and Pol. Silv. (545), but probably was built soon after the
pons Fabricius. Several Cestii of some prominence are known in this
period, and the bridge was probably constructed by one of them, while
curator viarum, between 62 and 27 b.c.
In the fourth century the pons Cestius was replaced by what was
practically a new structure, which the Emperors Valentinian I, Valens
and Gratian finished in 369 (Sym. Pan. in Grat. p. 332) and dedicated
in 370 as the pons Gratiani. There were two inscriptions recording
this event, each in duplicate, the first cut on marble slabs placed on the
399
9. 11) : pons Antonini in arenula (Graphia 10), pons Ianicularis id est
pons ruptus vulgariter nominatus et tremulus et Antoninus (Anon. Magi.
158, Urlichs). This was partially destroyed in 772, hence the name
ruptus, and rebuilt in 1475 in its present shape by Sixtus IV, from whom
comes its modern name, Ponte Sisto. The start of the first arch of the
older bridge may still be seen. If this identification be correct, the
bridge must have been built by an emperor who bore both names,
Marcus Aurelius or Caracalla, and perhaps by the latter rather than the
former, as he could thus bring the buildings of Severus (Hist. Aug. Sev.
19) into closer connection with the campus Martius.
In 1878, in the river immediately below the first arch of the Ponte
Sisto, were found remains of an earlier bridge and also of a memorial
arch which stood at its entrance (BC 1878, 241 ; 1881, II ; cf. NS 1892,
50, 234-235 ; Mitt. 1911, 238-259). On some of these remains are
fragmentary inscriptions (CIL vi. 31402-31412 ; ILS 769) which record
the rebuilding of arch and bridge by Valentinian I in 365-366 a.d.
Some pieces of bronze statues were also found (PT 179, 195, 197)· This
proves that the pons Antoninus was restored by Valentinian, and explains
a reference in Ammianus (xxvii. 3. 3). The name, pons Valentinianus,
must have been in use to some extent in later times, together with the
earlier, for in the Mirabilia (il) both names are found, although, by an
error, they are used of different bridges. It is apparent that the impres-
sion made on the Romans by the rebuilding of Valentinian was not strong
enough to cause the displacement of the earlier names, pons Antoninus,
pons Aurelius, by the new official designation (Jord. i. I. 417-420 ;
ii. 192-195, 436; Mayerhofer, Gesch.-Topograph. Studien 44-46, 114 ;
DuP 58). A fragment of a fluviometer was also found (BC 1892, 139-145)·
Pons Caligulae : a foot bridge built by Caligula over the temple of Augustus
and across the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline, to connect
his own palace with the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus (Suet. Cal. 22).
This was removed after his death, and nothing is known of its size or
appearance (HJ 85 ; LR 125 ; Pagan and Christian Rome IOI-IO2 ; Mitt.
1893, 264 ; see Domus Tiberiana).
Pons Cestius : the modern Ponte S. Bartolomeo, the first stone bridge
from the island to the right bank of the river. It is mentioned only
in Not. app. and Pol. Silv. (545), but probably was built soon after the
pons Fabricius. Several Cestii of some prominence are known in this
period, and the bridge was probably constructed by one of them, while
curator viarum, between 62 and 27 b.c.
In the fourth century the pons Cestius was replaced by what was
practically a new structure, which the Emperors Valentinian I, Valens
and Gratian finished in 369 (Sym. Pan. in Grat. p. 332) and dedicated
in 370 as the pons Gratiani. There were two inscriptions recording
this event, each in duplicate, the first cut on marble slabs placed on the