Topics
* Septimius Severus * Ara Pacis * Torre Argentina * Temple of Concordance * St.Pauls’ gate
* Appian Way * Casal Rotondo *
Among the arches, one of most beautiful is the one dedicated to Septimius Severus an his sons Caracalla and
Geta; after the Septimius’ death, Caracalla made his son be murdered and after he made the writing of his brother on the arch be
cancelled; by the way the holes were the letters were affixed, are still
visible.
By the river, closed in a big glass box, is the Ara Pacis, a temple for the peace reached in all the Empire under Augustus
reign, inaugurated in 9 b.C.. The former project of the emperor was greater as he wanted to proclaim himself a
god: the Area Pacis was built exactly where the shadow of the obelisk, center of the big watch built in Campus
Martius, pointed on September 29th , Octavianus’ birthday. The monument was rebuilt on 1938 and placed where now is. The obelisk is still standing in Piazza Montecitorio and it was originally of Psammetic I, king of
Egypt, and transported to Rome from Eliopolis. On the basement is still possible to read "Augustus dedicated to the Sun after the submission of Egypt to the Roman people".
In the sacred area of Torre Argentina, the rest of four republican temples which are called A,B,C and D following the North-South direction; it is still no possible to understand to whom they were
dedicated. Only B and D are thought to belong to the "Fortune of the present day" and to Lari Permarini
respectively.
What is called Temple of Concordance, in the Forum, take his name from the agreement between patrician and plebes after the Aventinus’
episode; it was erected by Furius Camillus in 366 b.C..
In Rome there is a
pyramid: it’s the one by St.Pauls’ gate, tomb of the illustrious roman magistrate Gaius
Cestius; he wanted a tomb just like the ones in Egypt. AT that time there was another in the Vatican area.
In 1780, by the Appian Way, was discovered a sepulchres of the Scipion’s. It consists of a mass of tuff and the most ancient tomb is the one of L. Cornelius Scipio
Barbatus, consul in 298 b.C..
Just like the one of Cecilia Metella on the Appian Way, but with a major diameter ( 35
Mts.), the tomb so called Casal Rotondo was dedicated to Messala
Corvinus.