Regio IX Circus Flaminius

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Regio IX Circus Flaminius is the ninth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio IX took its name from the racecourse located in the southern end of the Campus Martius, close to Tiber Island.

Geographic extent and important features

Ponte Sant'Angelo

Regio IX was defined by the presence of the

Roman feet (approximately 9.62 km), making it the second largest of the Augustan regions.[2]

Attached to the Circus Flaminius were the four stables that belonged to each of the factions in the chariot races: the Red, White, Green, and Blue teams. Additional entertainment was provided at the

grain dole.[4]

Additionally, this region also contained the Portico of Europa, the

Portico of the Argonauts (Porticus Argonautarum), and the Porticus Meleagri), the last two being adjacent to the Saepta Julia, where citizens gathered to cast their votes. Finally, near the banks of the Tiber also stood the Porticus Maximae, constructed in the names of the emperors Gratian, Valentinian II and Theodosius I, very near a triumphal arch also built by them which stood in front of the Ponte Sant'Angelo. Near here was also located the Ciconiae Nixae, a name that continues to perplex scholars.[5]

Drawing of the ruins of the Mausoleum of Augustus (1575)

In terms of other types of monuments and buildings, this region possessed the ancient

Altar of Mars (located beside the modern Doria Pamphilj Gallery) to the south, while to the north sat the Mausoleum of Augustus. Between these two points stood the Stadium of Domitian (situated on the site of the present day Piazza Navona), the Trigarium (an equestrian training ground located south of the bend of the Tiber River) and the Odeon, built for musical competitions, which was counted amongst the most admired of the works built by the emperor Constantius II.[6] Near the Trigarium was the Tarentum
, an open air space where religious rites were carried out.

The remains of the Mausoleum of Augustus

In this region still stands the Hadrianic reconstruction of the Pantheon of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, but the adjacent Baths of Agrippa have long since vanished, as have the Baths of Nero that were later enlarged by Severus Alexander. To the west of the Pantheon stood the Temple of Minerva Chalcidica and the Temple of Isis and Serapis. Several other buildings were constructed in this part of the Regio IX during the period of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. These included the Temple of Matidia, the Temple of Marcia, the Temple of Hadrian, the Temple of Marcus Aurelius, and two columns, that of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. Near where the Column of Antoninus Pius stood was also kept the Solarium Augusti, a giant sundial, as well as the Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace.

As the lands beyond the Servian Wall were traditionally not held to be part of the city of Rome, the Campus Martius also possessed several tombs, which were not permitted to be placed within the traditional limits of the city. Chief amongst these was the

balneae (bath houses), and 120 loci (fountains).[8]

Subdivisions

At the turn of the 5th century, the Regio was divided into 35

curators and was served by 48 Roman magistrates.[9]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Gregorovius, pg. 45
  2. ^ Notitia, REGIO IX CIRCVS FLAMINIVS
  3. ^ Gregorovius, pg. 45
  4. ^ Gregorovius, pg. 46
  5. ^ Lawrence Richardson, A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992), pp. 82–83 online. See also Marcel Le Glay, "Remarques sur la notion de Salus dans la religion romaine," La soteriologia dei culti orientali nell' imperio romano: Études préliminaires au religions orientales dans l'empire romain, Colloquio internazionale Roma, 1979 (Brill, 1982), p. 442 online.
  6. ^ Gregorovius, pg. 47
  7. ^ Gregorovius, pgs. 47-48
  8. ^ Notitia, REGIO IX CIRCVS FLAMINIVS
  9. ^ Notitia, REGIO IX CIRCVS FLAMINIVS

Bibliography

  • Platner, Samuel Ball, A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome, Oxford University Press (1929) (online version)
  • Gregorovius, Ferdinand, History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, Vol. 1, (1894)
  • DISCRIPTIO XIIII REGIONVM VRBIS ROMÆ, Curiosum - Notitia. 4th-century descriptions of the regions of Rome and their main buildings. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Regio_IX_Circus_Flaminius&oldid=1168225648"