- 14 regions of Augustan Rome
:"See
Regio (disambiguation) for other meanings."Augustus in7 B.C. administratively dividedRome into 14 regions (Latin , "regiones").At the beginning these regions were referred to only by number; later they received names as well. Regions were split into smaller areas known as "vici," "neighborhoods."
List of the 14 "regiones"
*I "Porta Capena" (Latin, "Gate to Capua")It took its name from the gate through the
Servian walls which theAppian way takes to get into the city. Beginning from this to the south of theCaelian Hill , it runs to the future track of theAurelian walls .*II "Caelimontium"This encompassed the Caelian hill.
*III "Isis et Serapis"It took its name from the sanctuary of
Isis , in the area of the modern Labicana street, containing the valley which was to be the future site of theColosseum , and parts of the Oppian and Esquiline hills.*IV "Templum Pacis" (Latin, "Temple of Peace")It took its name from the temple built in the region by
Vespasian . It includes the valley between the Esquiline and the Viminal hills, the popular area of the "Subura " (the Roman suburbs) and theVelian Hill (the hill between the Palatine and the Oppian Hill, removed in the early20th century to make way for the "via dei Fori Imperiali", the street passing between theForum Romanum and the Forum of Augustus).*V "Esquiliae"The name derives from the Esquiline hill. It contains parts of the Oppian and Cispian (two minor hills close to the city center) and of the Esquiline, plus the plain just outside the Servian walls.
*VI "Alta Semita" (Latin, "High Path")The name derives from the street passing over the
Quirinal Hill . The "regio" contains parts of the Quirinal and Viminal hills.*VII "Via Lata" (Latin, "Wide Road")The name was derived from the
via Flaminia which runs between the Servian walls and the futureAurelian walls . This was an urban street, corresponding to the modernvia del Corso . The "regio" contained part of theCampus Martius on the east of the street plus the "Collis Hortulorum" (Hill of the Hortuli), thePincian Hill (modern Pincio).
*VIII "Forum Romanum"This is the central region, containing theCapitoline Hill , the valley between the Palatine and the Capitoline hills (where theForum Romanum is located), and the area betweenVelian Hill and the Palatine up to theArch of Titus and theTemple of Venus and Roma .*IX "Circus Flaminius"The name derives from the racecourse located in the southern end of the
Campus Martius , close toTiber Island . The region contains part of theCampus Martius , on the west side of "via Lata".*X "Palatium"The
Palatine Hill .*XI "Circus Maximus"It took its name from the
Circus Maximus , located in the valley between the Palatine and the Aventine. It contained theCircus Maximus , theVelabrum (the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline), as well as the areas next to theForum Boarium and theForum Holitorium .*XII "Piscina Publica"It took its name from a monument that disappeared during the Empire. It had the high ground where nowadays is the church of "
San Saba ", plus its ramifications towards theAppian way , where Caracalla's baths were.*XIII "Aventinus"It contained the
Aventine Hill and the plain in front of it, along the Tiber. Here was the "Emporium ", the first port on the river.*XIV "Transtiberim" (Latin, "Across the Tiber")This region contained
Tiber Island and all the parts ofRome west beyond the Tiber. This is modernTrastevere .References
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/Regionaries/text*.html DISCRIPTIO XIIII REGIONVM VRBIS ROMÆ, Curiosum - Notitia. 4th century descriptions of the regions of Rome and their main buildings]
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