39θ

PONS AGRIPPAE—PONS AURELIUS

arches were laid by a later Aemilius in his quaestorship. That the
upper part of the bridge was of wood, until 142 at least, is certain,
and therefore a statement in Obsequens (16) under date of 156 b.c.,
pontis maximi tectum cum columnis in Tiberim deiectum, is cited as
evidence that pons maximus was then a name in common use, although
Mommsen’s conjecture may be correct.
In the fourteenth century an arch was standing in the forum Boarium
in front of the Ponte Rotto described as arcus marmoreus in platea
pontis S. Mariae (Anon. Magi. 155), on which was an inscription (CIL
vi. 878) referring to a restoration by Augustus after 12 b.c. It is possible
that this restoration may have been that of the bridge. Besides pons S.
Mariae (LS ii. 22-28; iv. 49, 84) this bridge was called in the Middle
Ages pons Senatorum (Mirab. Il), and pons Maior (Eins. 7. 4; cf.
Delbruck, Hellenistische Bauten i. 14). In the seventh century Aethicus
(loc. cit.) writes : pontem Lepidi qui nunc abusive a plebe lapideus
dicitur iuxta forum boarium transiens. Both these early variants of
Aemilius are easily explained, Lepidi from Aemilius, and lapideus from
the tradition that it was the first stone bridge (Plut. loc. cit.). The
identification of the pons Aemilius of the empire with the present Ponte
Rotto may be regarded as certain. This bridge was partially destroyed
by the flood of 1557 (cf. Mel. 1906, 189-193) and repaired by Gregory XIII
(Ill. 37). In 1598 the eastern half was carried away, and in 1887 two of
the three remaining arches were removed, so that only one now stands
in midstream. Recent investigation has shown that the ancient pier
of this arch is not the earliest, as the remains of the abutment are earlier
and belong to a bridge slightly further north which crossed the river
at a slightly different angle. This was therefore the bridge of the second
century b.c. and the existing arch and pier belong to a second structure,
probably that of Augustus (Delbruck, op. cit. i. 12-22 ; ii. taf. 2 ; Richter,
Befestigung d. Ianiculums 18-20 ; Jord. i. I. 409-414 ; 420-421 ; RE
i. 593 ; Mel. 1906, 180-181, 189-193 ; Gilb. iii. 257-260 ; Ber. d. sachs.
Gesell. 1850, 320-326 ; Besnier 128-130; BC 1914, 390; DuP 58, and
fig. 31 ; TF 139-141). Cf. Ill. 32 : and see Fornix Augusti.
For a viaduct on the road leading from the bridge to the Janiculum,
cf. Via Aurelia.
Pons Agrippae : a bridge 160 metres above the Ponte Sisto, known from
an inscribed cippus set up by the curatores riparum in the principate of
Claudius (CIL vi. 31545, see Trigarium), and the discovery of the remains
of four piers at the bottom of the river (NS 1887, 323 ; BC 1887, 306-313 >
1888, 92-98, pls. iv., v ; Mitt. 1889, 285-286 ; 1891, 135-136).
Pons Antoninus : see Pons Aurelius.
Pons Aurelius : mentioned only in documents of the fourth and fifth
centuries (Not. app. ; Pol. Silv. 545), but doubtless the same bridge as
that which was known in the Middle Ages as pons Antoninus (Mirab.