Porta Esquilina

The Porta Esquilina was a city gate of ancient Rome in the Servian Wall . It is still preserved today as the Arch of Gallienus (arco di Gallieno) .

Porta Esquilina / Arch of Gallienus

location

The Porta Esquilina was on the eponymous hill, the Esquilin , at the southern end of the Servian wall, the agger . Within the city, the clivus Suburanus , the main street of the Subura , led to the Porta Esquilina. Outside the wall, the Via Labicana , a side branch of the Via Latina , and the Via Praenestina leading to Praeneste (which, however, were probably still connected a certain distance outside the city) and probably the Via Tiburtina to Tibur began at it .

history

In Republican times there were sand pits and simple burial places in front of the gate, until the end of the 1st century BC. BC Maecenas had extensive parks, the horti Maecenates , laid out there, which became imperial property after his death. The gate itself was apparently derelict at this point. Augustus had it repaired like other city gates. In 262 it was consecrated as an arch of honor for the Emperor Gallienus by an inscription , after whom it is still named today. The original Augustan inscription on the attic has been deleted. The roughly square building made of travertine from Tivoli had, in addition to a large archway, two small side passages that were demolished in the late Middle Ages, while the main part is still preserved (height: 8.80 m; width: 7.30 m; depth: 3, 50 m).

literature

• Filippo Coarelli : Rome. An archaeological guide. Zabern, Mainz 2000, ISBN 3-8053-2685-8 , pp. 232-233.
• Samuel Ball Platner , Thomas Ashby : Porta Esquilina . In: A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Oxford University Press, London 1929, p. 407.

Web links

Commons : Porta Esquilina  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

1. ^ Strabo 5, 3, 9.
2. ↑ Marcus Tullius Cicero , Pro Cluentio 37: Asuvius autem brevi illo tempore, quasi in hortulos iret, in harenarias quasdam extra portam Esquilinam perductus occiditur .
3. ↑ Horace , Satires 1, 8, 8-10: huc prius angustis eiecta cadavera cellis | conservus vili portanda locabat in arca; | hoc miserae plebi stabat commune sepulcrum .
4. ↑ CIL 6, 1106 ( Inscriptiones Latinae selectae 548): Gallieno clementissimo principi cuius invicta virtus sola pietate superata est et Saloninae Sanctissimae Aug (ustae) | Aurelius Victor v (ir) e (gregius) dicatissimus numini maiestatique eorum .

Coordinates: 41 ° 53 '44.8 "  N , 12 ° 30' 4.8"  E