DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0485
PORTA STERCORARIA—PORTA TIBURTINA
417
fore, that this was the gate referred to by Severus’ biographer (Hist. Aug.
Sever. 19) : balneae in Transtiberina regione ad portam nominis sui, that
is, a gate opening into the area occupied by the buildings of Severus
(cf. Septimianum, HJ 656) in this region, and afterwards incorporated
in the wall of Aurelian. That it is not mentioned in DMH, GMU, or
any early mediaeval documents, is strange, but there must have been
at least one gate in the wall between the porta Aurelia and the river,
and this lies on the line which the wall would naturally have followed
(HJ 650 ; Richter 72, 281 ; T ix. 476). For the church of S. Johannes
de Porta, cf. HCh 275, and for S. Silvester iuxta Portam Septimianam
ibid. 468 (1123) ; cf. also ciii.
Porta Stercoraria : a gate on the clivus Capitolinus, opening into an
alley (angiportus). It was opened once a year, on 15th June, in order
that the stercus—ashes, rubbish, etc.—from the temple of Vesta might
be removed and thrown into the Tiber (Fest. 344 ; cf. ib. 258 ; Varro,
LL vi. 32 ; Ov. Fast. vi. 713 ; Fast. ap. CIL i2. p. 319, and NS 1921, 98).
It was probably about halfway up the clivus, but there is no clue to its
exact location (Jord. i. 2. 64 ; Gilb. ii. 316 ; Richter 117).
Porta Taurina : see Forum Tauri.
Porta Tiburtina : a gate in the Aurelian wall (Ill. 44), by which the Via
Tiburtina (q.v.) left the city (DMH). In the eighth century it was known
as Porta S. Laurentii, because it led to the church of that name (GMU 88 ;
R ii. 406). There seems to be no trace in the present gate of any work
by Aurelian, who may have simply restricted himself to flanking with two
towers the arch by which the aquae Marcia, Tepula and Iulia crossed the
road. This was rebuilt by Augustus in 5 b.c., and also bears inscriptions
of Vespasian and Septimius Severus, relating to the aqueducts (CIL vi.
1244-1246). From the bull’s head on the keystone of the arch came the
name porta Taurina, which we find in the Liber Pontificalis in the lives
of Alexander I (LPD i. 127) and Anastasius I (ib. 258) as well as in the
Mirabilia (Jord. ii. 319-328) ; while Magister Gregorius (JRS 1919, 20,
46) gives both porta Tiburtina and porta Aquileia, que nunc Sancti
Laurentii dicitur, in his list.
The gate was restored by Honorius, as the inscription over the stone
outer arch records (CIL vi. 1190).1 He also built the inner arch 2 in stone,
most of which was removed by Pius IX in 1869, and, according to
Lanciani, raised the level, here and elsewhere, from 9 to 13 feet; but the
difference between the levels of the Augustan and Flavian periods has
now been more accurately determined as 1.38 metre (4| feet), while there
was a rise of only I cm. up to the time of Honorius (Jord. i. I. 356-358 ;
LR 76-77 ; PBS iii. 85-88 ; T viii. 9-14 ; BC 1892, 111 ; 1917, 207-214).
1 To him probably belong the large square towers outside the gate, which may, as
elsewhere, replace the original semicircular towers of Aurelian.
2 This arch formed a vantage court, as at Porta Appia, and elsewhere.
a.d.r. 2 D
417
fore, that this was the gate referred to by Severus’ biographer (Hist. Aug.
Sever. 19) : balneae in Transtiberina regione ad portam nominis sui, that
is, a gate opening into the area occupied by the buildings of Severus
(cf. Septimianum, HJ 656) in this region, and afterwards incorporated
in the wall of Aurelian. That it is not mentioned in DMH, GMU, or
any early mediaeval documents, is strange, but there must have been
at least one gate in the wall between the porta Aurelia and the river,
and this lies on the line which the wall would naturally have followed
(HJ 650 ; Richter 72, 281 ; T ix. 476). For the church of S. Johannes
de Porta, cf. HCh 275, and for S. Silvester iuxta Portam Septimianam
ibid. 468 (1123) ; cf. also ciii.
Porta Stercoraria : a gate on the clivus Capitolinus, opening into an
alley (angiportus). It was opened once a year, on 15th June, in order
that the stercus—ashes, rubbish, etc.—from the temple of Vesta might
be removed and thrown into the Tiber (Fest. 344 ; cf. ib. 258 ; Varro,
LL vi. 32 ; Ov. Fast. vi. 713 ; Fast. ap. CIL i2. p. 319, and NS 1921, 98).
It was probably about halfway up the clivus, but there is no clue to its
exact location (Jord. i. 2. 64 ; Gilb. ii. 316 ; Richter 117).
Porta Taurina : see Forum Tauri.
Porta Tiburtina : a gate in the Aurelian wall (Ill. 44), by which the Via
Tiburtina (q.v.) left the city (DMH). In the eighth century it was known
as Porta S. Laurentii, because it led to the church of that name (GMU 88 ;
R ii. 406). There seems to be no trace in the present gate of any work
by Aurelian, who may have simply restricted himself to flanking with two
towers the arch by which the aquae Marcia, Tepula and Iulia crossed the
road. This was rebuilt by Augustus in 5 b.c., and also bears inscriptions
of Vespasian and Septimius Severus, relating to the aqueducts (CIL vi.
1244-1246). From the bull’s head on the keystone of the arch came the
name porta Taurina, which we find in the Liber Pontificalis in the lives
of Alexander I (LPD i. 127) and Anastasius I (ib. 258) as well as in the
Mirabilia (Jord. ii. 319-328) ; while Magister Gregorius (JRS 1919, 20,
46) gives both porta Tiburtina and porta Aquileia, que nunc Sancti
Laurentii dicitur, in his list.
The gate was restored by Honorius, as the inscription over the stone
outer arch records (CIL vi. 1190).1 He also built the inner arch 2 in stone,
most of which was removed by Pius IX in 1869, and, according to
Lanciani, raised the level, here and elsewhere, from 9 to 13 feet; but the
difference between the levels of the Augustan and Flavian periods has
now been more accurately determined as 1.38 metre (4| feet), while there
was a rise of only I cm. up to the time of Honorius (Jord. i. I. 356-358 ;
LR 76-77 ; PBS iii. 85-88 ; T viii. 9-14 ; BC 1892, 111 ; 1917, 207-214).
1 To him probably belong the large square towers outside the gate, which may, as
elsewhere, replace the original semicircular towers of Aurelian.
2 This arch formed a vantage court, as at Porta Appia, and elsewhere.
a.d.r. 2 D