Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

PONS. 302 PONS.

thi grand procession 'with which the games
at the circus commenced (Pompa Circensis).
[Circus.]

PONS •(ye'f/ivpa), a bridge. As the rivers of
Greece were small, and the use of the arch
known to them only to a limited extent, it is
probable that the Greek bridges were built
entirely of wood, or, at best, were nothing
more than a wooden platform supported upon
stone piers at each extremity. Pliny men-
tions a bridge over the Acheron 1000 feet in
length ; we also know that the island Euboea
was joined to Boeotia by a bridge ; but the
only existing specimen of a Greek bridge is
the one over a tributary of the Eurotas.
The Romans regularly applied the arch to the
construction of bridges, by which they were
enabled to erect structures of great beauty
and solidity, as well as utility. The width of
the passage-way in a Roman bridge was com-

monly narrow, as compared with modern
structures of the same kind, and corresponded
with the road (via) leading to and from it.
It was divided into three parts. The centre
one, for horses and carriages, was denomi-
nated agger or iter; and the raised footpaths
on each side decursoria, which were enclosed
by parapet walls similar in use and appear-
ance to the pluteus in the basilica. There
were eight bridges across the Tiber. I. Of
these the most celebrated, as well as the most
ancient, was the Pons Sublicius, so called
because it was built of wood ; sublices, in the
language of the Formiani, meaning wooden
beams. It was built by Ancus Martins, when
he united the Janiculum to the city, and was
situated at the foot of the Aventine.—II.
Pons Pai.atinus formed the communication
between the Palatine and its vicinities and
the Janiculum.—III. IV. Pons Fabiucius and

Pons Cestius, and Pons Fabncms, at Rome, with the buildings between restored.

Pons Cestivs were the two which connected
the Insula Tiberina with the opposite sides of
the river ; the first with the city, and the
latter with the Janiculum. Both are still re-
maining. They are represented in the pre-
ceding woodcut : that on the right hand is
the pons Fabricius, and that on the left the
pons Cestius.—V. Pons Janiculensis, which

rJ

led direct to the Janiculum.—VI. Pons Vati-
canus, so called because it formed the com-
munication between the Campus Martins and
Campus Vaticanus.—VII. Pons Aelivs, built
by Hadrian, which led from the city to the
mausoleum of that emperor, now the bridge
and castle of St. Angelo.-—VIII. Pons Mil-
vrcs, on the Via Flaminia, now Ponte Molle,

Pons Aelius at Rome.