Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/870

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

S5n EOMA. the middle ages. In the inscription, however, which is still extant upon it, it is called Pons Gratianus, and its restoration bj Valentinian, Valens, and Gra- tian is commemorated (Canina, Indie, p. 576; cf. Amm. Marc, sxvii. .3; Symm. Epist.x. 76, x. 45). Besides these bridges we find four others recorded in the suumiary of the Notitia, namely, the Aelius, Aurelius, Probi, and Milvius. The last of these lay two miles N. of Rome, at the point where the Fla- minian Way crossed the Tiber, and has been already described in this dictioiiaiy. [Pons JIilvius.] The Pons Aelius (now Ponte S. Angeh') was built by Hadrian when he founded his mausoleum, to which it directly leads. (Spart. Ilad): 19.) In the time of the Anonymous of Einsiedlen, who has preserved the inscription, it was called Pons S. Petri. But before the time of Hadrian there was a bridge which connected the district of the Vatican with the city near the gardens of Caligula and Nero, remains of which still exist near S. Spirito. This is probably the bridge which is called in the Mirabilia " Pons Neuonianus," and by the ancient topographers " Pons Vatic^vnus." The Pons Triumphalis has also been sometimes identified with this bridge; but Piranesi, who is followed by Bunsen, places the Pons Triumplialis above the Aeliun bridge: and it is said that there are still remains of one of the piles near Tor di iVona. But in the time of Procopius these had disappeared, and the Pons Aelius formed the only communication between the city and the Vatican district. The Pons Aurelius was most probably the present Ponte Sisto, leading to the Janiculum and the Porta Aurelia. It appears to have been called Pons Antoninus in the middle ages. What the Pons Pkobi may have been it is impossible to say. Becker assigns the name to the bridge by the Porta Trigemina, but merely because, having denied that to be the Sublicius, he has nowhere else to place it. Canina, on the contrary {Indie, p. 609), places it where we have placed the Pons Aurelius. XVIII. Aqueducts. In the time of Frontinus there were at Pome nine principal aqueducts, viz., the Appia, Anio Vetus, Marcia, Tepula, Julia, Virgo, Alsietina, Claudia, Anio Novus; and two subsidiary ones, the Augusta and Rivus Herculaneus. {Aq. 4.) Between the time of Frontinus and that of Procopius their num- ber had considerably increased, since the latter his- torian relates that the Goths destroyed 14 aque- ducts that were without the walls. (J5. G. i. 19.) The Notitia enumerates 19, viz. the Trajana, Annia, Attica, Marcia, Claudia, Herculea, Cerulea, Julia, Augustea, Appia, Alseatina, Citninia, Aurelia, Damnata, Virgo, Tepula, Severiana, Antoniniana, Alexandrina. To enter into a complete history of all these would almost require a separate treatise; and we shall therefore confine ourselves to a state- ment of the more important particulars concerning them, referring those readers who are desirous of more information on the subject to the Dictionary of Antiquities, art. Aquaeductus. The Aqua Appia was, as we have already re- lated, the first aqueduct conferred on Rome by the care of the censor Appius Claudius Caecus, after whom it was named. It coinmenced on the Via Praenestina, between the 7th and 8th mile- stone, and extended to the Salinae, near the Porta Trigemina. The whole of it was underground, with EOMA. the exception of sixty passus conducted on arches from the Porta Capena. Its water began to be dis- tributed at the innis Clivus Publicius, near the Porta Trigemina. (Front. Aq. 5 ) The Anio Vetus was commenced by the censor M'. Cnrius Dentatus in B.C. 273, and completed by M. Fulvius Flaccus. (76. 6 ; Aur. Vict. Vir. III. 3.3.) It began above Tibur, and was 43 miles long; but only 221 passus, or less than a quarter of a mile, was above ground. It entered the city a little N. of Porta Maggiore. The Aqua Marcia, one of the noblest of the Roman aqueducts, was built by Q. Marcius Rex, in pursuance of a commission of the senate, b. c. 144. It began near the Via Valeria at a distance of 3 6 miles from Rome ; but its whole length ^yas nearly 62 miles, of which 6935 passus were on arches. Respecting its source, see the article Fucinus La- cus [Vol. I. p. 918]. It was lofty enough to sup- ply the Mons Capitolinus. Augustus added another source to it, lying at the distance of nearly a mile, and this duct was called after him. Aqua Augusta, but was not reckoned as a separate aqueduct. (Frontin. Aq. 12; Phn.xxxi. 24; Strab. v. p. 240.) The Aqua Tepula was built by the censors Cn. Servilius Caepio and L. Cassius Longinus, b. c. 127. Its source was 2 miles to the right of the 10th milestone on the Via Latina. The preceding aqueduct was united by Agrippa with the Aqua Julia, which began 2 miles farther down ; and they flowed together as far as the Pis- cina on the Via Latina. From this point they were conducted in separate channels in conjunction with tiie Aqua JMarcia, so that the Aqua Julia was in the uppermost canal, the Marcia in the lowest, and the Tepula in the middle. (Front, ^li?. 8,9, 19.) Re- mains of these three aqueducts are still to be seen at the Porta S. Lorenzo and Porta Maggiore. The Aqua Virgo was also conducted to Rome by Agrippa in order to supply his baths. Accord- ing to Frontinus (Aq. 10) its name was derived from its source having been pointed out by a young maiden, but other explanations are given. (Plin. xxxi. 25; Cassiod. Var. vii. 6.) It commenced in a marshy district at the 8th milestone on the Via Collatina, and was conducted by a very cir- cuitous route, and mostly underground, to the Pincian hill; whence, as we have before mentioned, it was continued to the Campus Martius on arches which began under the gardens of Lucullus. It is the only aqueduct on the lefi bank of the Tiber which is still in some degree serviceable, and supplies the Fontana Trevi. The Aqua Alsietina belonged to the Transti- berine Region. It was constructed by Augustus, and had its source in tiie Lacus Alsietinus (now Logo di Mai-tignano), lying Gj miles to the right of the 14th milestone on the Via Claudia. Its water was bad, and only fit for watering gardens and such like purpo.ses. (Front. 11.) The Aqua Claudia was begun by Caligula, and dedicated by Claudius, a. d 50. This and the Anio Novus were the most gigantic of all the Roman aqueducts. The Claudia was derived from two abundant sources, called Caerulus and Curtius, near the 38th milestone of the Via Sublacensis, and in its course was augmented by another spring, the Albudinus. Its water was particularly pure, and the best after that of the Marcia. The Anio Novus began 4 miles lower down the Via Sublacensis than the preceding, and was the