In studying the Palatine Hill, the topography presents the first
difficulty. It must be borne in mind that the form of the hill has
undergone many important changes since the days of Romulus, and, as
seen by us, is very different from what it was when Romulus built his
city. Now it presents a lozenge-shaped form; then it was oblong and
smaller. Our theory is, that if a line be drawn from about the Arch of
Titus across the hill, that part to the right or west was the extent
of the hill in the time of Romulus; and that to the left or east,
formerly "the pastures round the old town" (Varro), now presenting the
form of a hill, was no hill then. From a careful survey of the part to
the left of our line, we find it to be artificially formed of imperial
ruins upon the top of ruins, rubbish, and accumulation of soil, and
not of rock or solid earth. This new light does away with innumerable
difficulties in studying the form of Roma Quadrata, and presents to us
instead a very simple story.
If the hill had been of the same form then as now, Romulus would have
occupied the whole of it: this he certainly did not do, as his walls
are to the right of our line; and it is not likely that he would have
left part of the hill outside his boundary to command his city or to
be occupied by foes.
Our view agrees with classic authority. Tacitus (xii. 24) describing
the pomœrium or boundary of Roma Quadrata, which went round the
base of the hill on the level below, thus showing its shape, says:
"The first outline began at the Ox-Market, where still is to be seen
the brazen statue of a bull, that animal being commonly employed at
the plough. From that place a furrow was carried on of sufficient
dimensions to include the great Altar of Hercules. By boundary stones,
fixed at proper distances, the circuit was continued along the foot of
Mount Palatine to the Altar of Consus, extending thence to the Old
Curiæ; next, to the Chapel of the Lares." These buildings were built
after Roma Quadrata, with the exception of the Altar of Hercules, and
are mentioned by Tacitus to mark the line; they existed when he wrote.
Ovid ("Fasti," iv. 825) says: "Pressing the tail of the plough, he
traces out the walls with a furrow; a white cow with a snow-white bull
bears the yoke." Dionysius (i. 88) says: "Romulus called the people to
a place appointed, and described a quadrangular figure about the hill,
tracing with a plough, drawn by a bull and a cow yoked together, one
_continued_ furrow." Taking these authors for our guides, we can
easily trace the line of the pomœrium. Commencing at the Forum
Boarium, which site is well known, it went down to the Altar of
Hercules, which must have also been in the Forum Boarium, "in the spot
where a part of the city has its name derived from an ox" (Ovid,
"Fasti," i. 581). Taking in this altar, it passed under the Palatine's
southern side to the Ara Consi, which Tertullian ("De Spec." v.) tells
us was buried in the circus at the first meta. It here turned to the
east, passing along the valley which then existed, along our imaginary
line; for it is ridiculous to suppose that it would have passed right
across the Palatine had the hill been then what it is now. From the
Altar of Consus it extended past the Old Curiæ, which we think may be
seen in the tufa walls under the south end of the Palace of Domitian
(19), then to the Chapel of the Lares, which stands at the head of the
Sacra Via below the Palace of Domitian (17).
"Ædem Larum in Summa Sacra Via" ("Mon. Ancyr."). "Ancus Martius
(habitavit) in Summa Sacra Via, ubi ædes Larum est" (Solinus, i. 24).
"Romulus built a temple to Jupiter, near the gate called Mugonia,
which leads to the Palatine Hill from the Sacra Via" (Dionysius, ii.
30). The Sacred Way did not pass through the Arch of Titus, as is
generally supposed, but passing by it led up to the Palatine--this can
be seen by examining the stones--and was then called Clivus Palatinus.
A large piece of the pavement still exists on the Palatine, leading up
to the Ædem Larum, and which road is miscalled Nova Via. The road
leading from the Arch of Titus to that of Constantine was called the
Clivus Triumphalis.
Hence the furrow must have passed under the north side of the
Palatine, and down the west side to where it began; for Tacitus's
account says, "Hence to the Forum which was added by Tatius." This
furrow marked the bounds of the city, within which were the walls, the
city itself occupying the hill above.
The remains of the walls of Roma Quadrata existing are sufficient to
show us their exact line, for we have remains on four different sides,
and, curious enough, at three of the angles. On the west and east
sides it appears to have been built up to support the scarped cliff
and above it; but on the south it ran along the edge on the top of the
cliff--the valley below, beyond the pomœrium, being then the
Murzian Lake. Along the southern cliff it was not a solid wall, but
had embrasures, through which a _balista_ or _catapult_ might be fired
upon an enemy below--the remains of which are still existing. These
are the oldest Roman arches, being older than the Cloaca of Tarquin or
the arches of Ancus Martius.
"But Romulus had formed the _idea_ of a city rather than a _real_
city; for inhabitants were wanting" (Florus, i. 1).
The principal roadway upon the Palatine was the Nova Via, a new way,
evidently made after the Via Sacra, and simply called Nova Via without
any distinguishing name being given to it. It commenced at the Porta
Mugonia on the east, inside Roma Quadrata, and was here called Summa
Nova Via. "Tarquinius Priscus ad Mugoniam Portam supra Summam Novam
Viam" [habitabat] (Solinus, i. 24). From this point it went along the
north and down the west side past the gate--there being steps down
from the gate to the road. The descent off the hill was called the
Hill of Victory. "Sed Porta Romana instituta est a Romulo infimo Clivo
Victoriæ" (Festus). "Quæ habet gradus in Nova Via" (Varro). Passing by
the Porta Romana it turned to the left, or west, under the Palatine to
the Velabrum, where it ended. This part was called Infima Nova Via.
"Aius Loquens in Infima Nova Via" (Varro, "Ap. Gell." xvi. 17). This
altar still exists at the south-west corner under the Palatine. "Hoc
Sacrificium [to Larentia] fit in Velabro, qua in novam Viam exitur"
(Varro, "Ling. Lat." vi.).