DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0625
VATICANUS
547
ture, of the long ridge from the Janiculum to the modern Monte Mario
(Cic. ad Att. xiii. 33. 4 : a ponte Milvio Tiberim duci secundum montes
Vaticanos, campum Martium coaedificari, ilium autem campum Vati-
canum fieri quasi Martium campum). Here campus Vaticanus must
be used of the whole district between Monte Mario and the Tiber, known
in modern times until very recently as the Prati di Castello.
(3) Vaticanus Mons in the singular could be used of any one of the
montes within the limits of the ager Vaticanus. It occurs in Horace
(Carm. i. 20. 7 : redderet laudes tibi Vaticani montis imago, cf. Porphyr.
et Acron ad loc.), where it means the Janiculum, and in Juvenal (6. 344 :
et Vaticano fragiles de monte patellas), where it is more general, as the
clay pits are scattered all along this ridge. Festus’ Vaticanus collis
(379 '· Vaticanus collis appellatus est quod eo potitus sit populus Romanus
vatum responso expulsis Etruscis) is to be explained as a mere variant
of mons, introduced simply for the sake of the etymology. There is
no evidence that Vaticanus mons was a specific name for any one part
of the ridge during the classical period. It was in consequence of the
gradual restriction of Vaticanum (see below) to the area occupied by the
Circus Gai et Neronis (q.v.), and the identification of this site as the
burial place of S. Peter, that Vaticanus mons became localised in its
mediaeval and modern sense (Prud. c. Symm. i. 583 : qui . . . Vaticano
tumulum sub monte frequentat quo cinis ille latet genitoris amabilis
obses). With this new importance in Christian Rome, it took its place
among the seven hills (Not. app.).
(4) Vaticana Vallis : used once, by Tacitus, for the site of the
circus Gai et Neronis (Ann. xiv. 14 : clausumque valle Vaticana spatium
in quo equos regeret, haud promiscuo spectaculo), or, if not for its exact
site, for the entrance to the depression of the modern Vicolo del Gelso-
mino, just south-west of the area occupied by the circus proper.
(5) Vaticanum : the substantive, either an original place name or
the neuter of the adjective (see above), which was used first to designate,
in whole or in part, the level district between the Janiculum-Monte
Mario ridge and the Tiber, being more or less equivalent to Cicero’s
campus Vaticanus, and extending south, probably to the city limits
proper (Plin. NH xviii. 20 : aranti quattuor sua iugera in Vaticano
quae Prata Quinctia (q.v.) appellantur Cincinnato viator attulit
dictaturam ; viii. 37 ; xvi. 237 : vetustior autem urbe in Vaticano
ilex). Part at least of this district was regarded as unhealthy (Tac.
Hist. ii. 93 : infamibus Vaticani locis magna pars tetendit) ; thrice
tombs are mentioned that probably stood along the line of the modern
Borghi (Hist. Aug. Ver. 6. 4 ; Elag. 23. 1 ; Aero ad Hor. Ep. 9. 25 : tunc
levati cineres eius sunt de pyramide in Vaticano constituta) ; and it
contained a recognised pauper element in its population (Amm. Marcell,
xxvii. 3. 6 : accitos a Vaticano quosdam egentes opibus ditaverat magnis).
With the building of the circus Gai et Neronis, which was also called
547
ture, of the long ridge from the Janiculum to the modern Monte Mario
(Cic. ad Att. xiii. 33. 4 : a ponte Milvio Tiberim duci secundum montes
Vaticanos, campum Martium coaedificari, ilium autem campum Vati-
canum fieri quasi Martium campum). Here campus Vaticanus must
be used of the whole district between Monte Mario and the Tiber, known
in modern times until very recently as the Prati di Castello.
(3) Vaticanus Mons in the singular could be used of any one of the
montes within the limits of the ager Vaticanus. It occurs in Horace
(Carm. i. 20. 7 : redderet laudes tibi Vaticani montis imago, cf. Porphyr.
et Acron ad loc.), where it means the Janiculum, and in Juvenal (6. 344 :
et Vaticano fragiles de monte patellas), where it is more general, as the
clay pits are scattered all along this ridge. Festus’ Vaticanus collis
(379 '· Vaticanus collis appellatus est quod eo potitus sit populus Romanus
vatum responso expulsis Etruscis) is to be explained as a mere variant
of mons, introduced simply for the sake of the etymology. There is
no evidence that Vaticanus mons was a specific name for any one part
of the ridge during the classical period. It was in consequence of the
gradual restriction of Vaticanum (see below) to the area occupied by the
Circus Gai et Neronis (q.v.), and the identification of this site as the
burial place of S. Peter, that Vaticanus mons became localised in its
mediaeval and modern sense (Prud. c. Symm. i. 583 : qui . . . Vaticano
tumulum sub monte frequentat quo cinis ille latet genitoris amabilis
obses). With this new importance in Christian Rome, it took its place
among the seven hills (Not. app.).
(4) Vaticana Vallis : used once, by Tacitus, for the site of the
circus Gai et Neronis (Ann. xiv. 14 : clausumque valle Vaticana spatium
in quo equos regeret, haud promiscuo spectaculo), or, if not for its exact
site, for the entrance to the depression of the modern Vicolo del Gelso-
mino, just south-west of the area occupied by the circus proper.
(5) Vaticanum : the substantive, either an original place name or
the neuter of the adjective (see above), which was used first to designate,
in whole or in part, the level district between the Janiculum-Monte
Mario ridge and the Tiber, being more or less equivalent to Cicero’s
campus Vaticanus, and extending south, probably to the city limits
proper (Plin. NH xviii. 20 : aranti quattuor sua iugera in Vaticano
quae Prata Quinctia (q.v.) appellantur Cincinnato viator attulit
dictaturam ; viii. 37 ; xvi. 237 : vetustior autem urbe in Vaticano
ilex). Part at least of this district was regarded as unhealthy (Tac.
Hist. ii. 93 : infamibus Vaticani locis magna pars tetendit) ; thrice
tombs are mentioned that probably stood along the line of the modern
Borghi (Hist. Aug. Ver. 6. 4 ; Elag. 23. 1 ; Aero ad Hor. Ep. 9. 25 : tunc
levati cineres eius sunt de pyramide in Vaticano constituta) ; and it
contained a recognised pauper element in its population (Amm. Marcell,
xxvii. 3. 6 : accitos a Vaticano quosdam egentes opibus ditaverat magnis).
With the building of the circus Gai et Neronis, which was also called