Seven hills of Rome
The Seven Hills of Rome ( Latin Septem montes Romae , ancient Greek ἄστυ ἑπτάλοφον ásty heptálophon ) are seven heights east of the Tiber in the area of today's Italian capital Rome , which were once decisive for the settlement history and city topography . They were built after the city was destroyed by the Gauls in 387 BC. Surrounded by the Servian Wall , which clearly marked the city area from the surrounding area.
Although no uniform antique catalog has come down to us, the seven hills of Rome are classically counted:
- Aventine , 47 m
- Caelius , 50 m
- Esquiline , 65 m
- Capitol , 50 m
- Palatine Hill , 51 m
- Quirinal , 61 m
- Viminal , 60 m
The Caelius and the Quirinal were added as the last heights through the Servian Wall , so that the list includes five montes and two colles . In later lists, for example, the Capitol or the Palatine were replaced by the Ianiculum . In the regional catalog of the 4th century, however, the seven hills of Rome included Caelius, Aventinus, Tarpeius (= Capitol ), Palatinus, Esquiline, Vaticanus and Ianiculum , Quirinal and Viminal gave way to Vaticanus and Ianiculum .
In addition to the aforementioned, the Pincio , 54 m, which, like Ianiculum and Vaticanus, is outside the ancient city center , did not belong to the classic seven hills .
The seven hills mentioned are not identical to the seven hills of the Septimontium , on which around 1000 BC. The Latins established the first settlements: Suburba (a knoll of Caelius ), Palatium and Germalus (today together the Palatine Hill ), Velia and - as elevations of the Esquiline - Oppius, Cispius and Fagutal.
Other elevations in the narrower urban area of today's Rome are the Monte Parioli , 59 m, the Monte Antenne , 64 m, the Monte Mario , 139 m, which used to offer the Rome pilgrims coming from the north a first view of the city, and the Monte Testaccio , 49 m.
literature
- Samuel Ball Platner : The Septimontium and the Seven Hills . In: Classical Philology. Volume 1, 1906, pp. 69-80.