Template:Short description Template:Infobox military installation The Servian Wall (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is an ancient Roman defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was built of volcanic tuff and was up to Template:Convert in height in places, Template:Convert wide at its base, Template:Convert long,<ref>Fields, Nic; Peter Dennis 10 Mar 2008 The Walls of Rome Osprey Publishing Template:ISBN p. 10.</ref> and is believed to have had 16 main gates, of which only one or two have survived, and enclosed a total area of Template:Convert. In the 3rd century AD it was superseded by the construction of the larger Aurelian Walls as the city of Rome grew beyond the boundary of the Servian Wall.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>
HistoryEdit
The wall is named after the sixth Roman King, Servius Tullius. The literary tradition stating that there was some type of defensive wall or earthen works that encircled the city of Rome dating to the 6th century BC has been found to be false.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The main extent of the Servian Wall was built in the early 4th century BC, during what is known as the Roman Republic.
ConstructionEdit
The Servian Wall was originally built from large blocks of Cappellaccio tuff (a volcanic rock made from ash and rock fragments that are ejected during a volcanic eruption) that was quarried from the Alban Hills volcanic complex.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> This initial wall of Cappellaccio tuff was partially damaged and in need of restoration by the late 390s (either because of rapid disintegration or damage sustained after the Sack of Rome in 390 BC).<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref> These reparations were done using the superior Grotta Oscura tuff which had become available after the Romans had defeated Veii in the 390s.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref> This tuff was quarried by the vanquished Veientines.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref> In addition to the tuff blocks, some sections of the structure incorporated a deep fossa, or a ditch, in front of the wall, as a means to effectively heighten the wall. This second iteration of the wall containing Grotta Oscura tuff is dated by Livy to have been completed in 378 BC.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref>
Along part of the topographically weaker Northern perimeter was an agger, a defensive ramp of earth that was built up along the inside of the Servian Wall. This effectively thickened the wall and also gave the defenders of Rome a base to stand while repelling an attack. The wall was also outfitted with defensive war engines, including catapults.<ref name=Frank1918>Template:Cite journal</ref>
UsageEdit
The Servian Wall was maintained through the end of the Late Republic and into the Roman Empire. By this time, Rome had already begun to outgrow the original boundaries of the Servian Wall.
The Servian Wall became unnecessary as Rome became well protected by the ever-expanding strength of the field armies of the Republic and of the later Empire. As the city continued to grow and prosper, Rome was essentially without a border wall for the first three centuries of the Empire. Expanding domestic structures simply incorporated existing wall sections into their foundations, an example of which survives in the Auditorium of Maecenas.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> When German tribes made further incursions along the Roman frontier in the 3rd century AD, Emperor Aurelian had the larger Aurelian Walls built to protect the city of Rome.Template:Sfn
Present dayEdit
Several sections of the Servian Wall are still visible in various locations around the city of Rome. The largest section is preserved outside the Termini Station, the main railway station in Rome – including a section in a McDonald's dining area at the station. Another notable section on the Aventine Hill incorporates an arch that was supposedly for a defensive catapult from the late Republic.<ref name=Frank1918/>
Gates along the Servian WallEdit
The following lists the gates that are believed to have been built, clockwise from the westernmost. (Many of these are inferred only from writings, with no known remains.)
- Porta Flumentana – this gate was where the via Aurelia entered Rome after crossing the Tiber River.
- Porta Carmentalis – the western end of the Capitoline.
- Porta Fontinalis – led from the northern end of the Capitoline into the Campus Martius along the via Lata.
- Porta Sanqualis – on the Quirinal.
- Porta Salutaris – on the Quirinal.
- Porta Quirinalis – on the Quirinal.
- Porta Collina – the northernmost gate, on the Quirinal, leading to the via Salaria. Hannibal camped his army within sight of this gate when he considered besieging Rome in 211 BC. This section was additionally fortified with the agger.
- Porta Viminalis – on the Viminal. This is near the large section still visible outside Termini Station.
- Porta Esquilina – this gate on the Esquiline is still visible, and incorporates the later arch of the emperor Gallienus. It led to the via Labicana, via Praenestina and via Tiburtina.
- Porta Querquetulana – this led to the Via Tusculana.
- Porta Caelimontana – this gate is perhaps preserved in the Arch of Dolabella and Silanus, which was the reconstruction of an existing gate in 10 AD by the consuls Dolabella and Silanus.
- Porta Capena – this was the gate through which the via Appia left Rome to southern Italy after separating from the via Latina.
- Porta Naevia – this gate on the Aventine led to the via Ardeatina.
- Porta Raudusculana – headed south along the Tiber River along the via Ostiensis. Near here, on the modern viale Aventino, may be found a section of the wall incorporating an arch for a catapult.
- Porta Lavernalis – also joined up with the via Ostiensis.
- Porta Trigemina – this triple gate near the Forum Boarium also led to the via Ostiensis.
GalleryEdit
- Ripa - le mura a via di sant anselmo 051211-06.JPG
The Servian Wall at Via di Sant Anselmo
- Piazza fanti, resti dell'agger delle mura serviane 03.JPG
in the Piazza Manfredo Fanti
- Esquilino - mura serviane all'auditorium 1120875.JPG
incorporated in the Auditorium of Maecenas
- Sallustiano - mura serviane a via Salandra 1010013.JPG
in the via Salandra
- Monti - mura serviane a Magnanapoli 1010002.JPG
at Largo Magnanapoli
- S Sabina mura serviane 1150186.JPG
in Santa Sabina crypt
- New passenger building - Interior - 2.jpg
in Termini station
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
BibliographyEdit
- Template:Cite journal
- Carandini, A., P. Carafa, Italy, and Università degli studi di Roma “La Sapienza.,” eds. 2012. Atlante di Roma antica: biografia e ritratti della città. Milano: Electa.
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite journal
- Template:Cite book
- Claridge, Amanda. Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide. 2nd ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford UP, 2010. Oxford Archaeological Guides
- Template:Cite book
- Forsythe, Gary. 2005. A Critical History of Early Rome: From Prehistory to the First Punic War. Berkeley: University of California Press
- Holleran, C., and A. Claridge, eds. 2018. A companion to the city of Rome. Blackwell companions to the ancient world. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Template:Cite journal
- Showerman, Grant. 1969. Rome and the Romans: A Survey and Interpretation. New York: Cooper Square
- Template:Cite book
External linksEdit
- Servian Wall entry on the Lacus Curtius website
- Lacus Curtius page including gates in the Servian Wall
- Map showing the "Servian" wall based on new research results Template:Webarchive
- Template:Cite book
| Preceded by {{#if:Janiculum walls|Janiculum walls|—}} |
Landmarks of Rome{{#if:Servian Wall| Servian Wall}} |
Succeeded by {{#if:Porta Caelimontana|Porta Caelimontana|—}} |