After the destructive fire of 192, the Forum and edifices on the Sacra
Clivus were rebuilt by Septimius Severus and Julia Domna (Spartianus,
Dion Cassius, Eutropius), the empress taking upon herself the special
work of rebuilding the temple and residence of the Vestal Virgins; and
although the original podium of the temple was used, it was
considerably raised by rubble being placed on the top of the ancient
tufa platform. This was necessary owing to the raising of the level
from _débris_.
For the Atrium Vestæ a different site was selected, more to the south
under the Palatine; in fact the whole disposition of the edifices
about here was changed, as proved by comparing the earlier with the
later classical notices, and the excavations of 1883-4.
[Illustration: DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.]
To commemorate this rebuilding a silver coin was struck by the
empress, bearing her head on the obverse; and on the reverse is the
Temple of Vesta in the background, in front of which stands an altar,
and on either side are three virgins, two of whom are pouring an
oblation over the altar.
This new arrangement of the buildings is thus exactly described by
Servius (in "Æn." vii. 153): "By the Temple of Vesta was the Regia of
Numa Pompilius, but near to the Atrium of Vesta, which was distinct
from the temple."
Standing just inside, at the top of the steps, we have the whole
Atrium Vestæ, as their residence was named, uncovered before us--a
large peristylium paved with black and white mosaic, 222 feet long by
76 feet wide. Standing out thirteen feet from the boundary wall of the
Atrium, and extending all round the court, were forty-four columns of
various marbles, whilst under the colonnade were the pedestals bearing
honorary inscriptions and statues of High Vestals: sixteen on each
side, six at the top, and six at the bottom. Of these, thirteen
honorary inscriptions have been found dedicated to six different High
Vestal Virgins, the Lady Superiors of the nunnery. Four slight
fragments of other inscriptions were also found, making seventeen in
all. Twelve of the statues, more or less perfect, have also been
found: likewise an honorary pedestal to Caracalla; and a statue to
Vettius Agorius Prætextatus, erected to this champion of paganism, 367
A.D., by Cœlia Concordia, the last of the High Vestal Virgins.
At the east end of the Atrium is the fountain, beyond which is a step
up on to a tesselated pavement, and from that four steps lead into the
tabularium, or reception-room, having on each side three chambers, in
which most probably the Vestals deposited those objects intrusted to
their sacred keeping.
On each side of the Atrium were the residential chambers of the High
Vestals, the simple Virgins, and their domestics, two stories high.
Those on the south side are best preserved.
From the tesselated pavement a door gives access into a corridor, once
paved with white and black mosaic; at the end, on the left, is a
bath-chamber; and opening out from the corridor are several chambers
showing traces of marble pavements, frescoed and marble-cased walls.
In the second chamber are the remains of the mill for grinding the
salt used in sacrifice. (See Virgil, "Buc." viii. 82; Horace, "O."
iii. 23; Festus.) Pliny (xxxi. 41) says, "It is in our sacred rites
more particularly that the high importance of salt is to be
recognized, no offering ever being made unaccompanied by crushed
salt."
This corridor does not run the whole length of the Atrium, but turns
off to a flight of stairs leading to the upper chambers. The remainder
of the chambers on this side were reached direct from the Atrium by
steps. The first one contains a hexagonal pedestal to Flavia Publicia.
From the marble and fresco decorations found here, these rooms were
most probably the apartment of the High Vestal Virgin.
[Illustration]
The inscriptions to the High Vestals found, date between 180 and 364
A.D., and were erected in return for some advantage derived from the
patronage of the High Vestal. Historically they are of no great
importance, giving us only names of Vestals that were already known.
The most important inscriptions are those found here which do not
refer to the Virgins. Commencing with the first pedestal at the top of
the entry steps, they read as follows:--
Flavia Publicia. Erected July 9, 283 A.D.
Concordiæ. Dedicated June 9, 364. She was the last High Vestal, and
her name was erased because she became a Christian.
Cœlia Claudiana. 253-7 A.D.
Caracalla pedestal. July 2, 114 A.D.
Prætextata Crassi. 180-200 A.D.
Flavia Publicia. 257-284.
Numisia Maximilla. 201-216.
Statue of an unknown Vestal; no head.
Flavia Publicia. 257-84.
Another pedestal to her, with statue adjoining.
Pedestal to Trentia Flavola. About 350.
Blank pedestal, with statue of Ceres adjoining.
Pedestal to Flavia Publicia. September 30, 257.
Statue of Vettius Agorius Prætextatus. 380.
Fragment of a seated statue.
Statue unknown.
Statue and pedestal to Flavia Publicia.
This part of the city was finally destroyed by the great fire, when
Robert Guiscard burned Rome from the Lateran to the Capitol, in 1084.
During this long period of nearly seven hundred years the Atrium Vestæ
underwent many changes and received other tenants, for the new
excavations show that it had been inhabited after the Vestals were
abolished.
At the rear of the first pedestal a terra-cotta jar was discovered,
containing a brooch bearing the name of Pope Martin III., 943-46; a
gold coin of the Eastern Emperor Theophilus (827-42); and eight
hundred and thirty Anglo-Saxon silver coins of Alfred the Great
(871-900), Edward (900-24), Edgar Athelstan (925-41), and Edmund I.
(941-48)--four kings of Northumbria--and of Plegmund, Archbishop of
Canterbury (889-923). We may presume that this money was brought to
Rome by some English tourist, who left his all and fled when the
building was finally destroyed by fire; or that it formed part of a
donation of "Peter's Pence." Ethelwulf, the English king during the
time of Leo IV. (845-57), was the first English prince who gave
tribute to the See of Rome; and as such his portrait is to be seen in
_chiaro-oscuro_, by Caravaggio, in the Stanze of the Incendio del
Borgo in the Vatican.
After running a course of one thousand and eighty years, Gratian in
367 "refused the office of Pontifex Maximus, and abolished the
functions of the Vestal Virgins" (Zosimus, iv.), which were finally
suppressed by Theodosius in 392. "Theodosius directed his attention
towards the suppression of idolatry, and issued a law commanding the
demolition of idolatrous temples." "The faithful emperor Theodosius
interdicted these rites and consigned them to disuse" (Theodoret, v.
21).
The Bishop of Rome and his clergy came by right, as heads of the
established religion, into the possessions of the defunct faiths, and
inhabited the quarters of the Vestals, assuming the title of the head
of the ancient religion, Pontifex Maximus, a title held to the present
day--a dignity two thousand six hundred and forty years old, the
oldest title in the world.