The 7 Hills of Rome

Can Queen Victoria Eat Cold Apple Pie?

FocusAt the end of this

presentation you will be able to name the 7 hills of Rome as well as some of the features or important sites for each hill. You will also be able to name the 3 major time periods in Roman history.

Rome•Rome was founded in 753 BC on the banks of the Tiber River as a collection of villages on hills. •The city limits were indicated by the pomerium (white stones spaced consistently to represent the line drawn by Romulus with a plough) but, the land outside of it for a 1000 mile radius also belonged to the city.•One of the most distinguishing features of Rome are its 7 hills.•The Palatine Hill seems to be the first one inhabited. •The hills provided an advantage in terms of defending the city.

Capitoline• Home to temples and the peak called Arx, which

housed the citadel of Rome• The Temple of Asylaeus was a place where

refuge or safety was given to those seeking it• The most important temple, the Temple of

Jupiter Capitolinus Optimus Maximus (Capitoline Jupiter , the Best and Greatest)

• The Temple of Juno, the wife of Jupiter• The auguraculum, or the place where priests

looked for heaven sent signs• The Tarpeian Rock from which criminals and

traitors were flung to their death• The Tabularium, the Record Office of the State

including the minutes of the Senate• Is on one side of the Roman Forum with the

Palatine Hill on the other.

Quirinal• Residents are generally the

upper middle class• Originally settled by the Sabines• To the south is the Roman

Forum• To the West is the Campus

Martius• On the North side are the

Gardens of Sallust• Domitian built the temple gentis

Flaviae on the site of the home of the family of his father, Vespasian

Viminal

• Housing is cheaper than on the Quirinal, but there are a few nice homes of the wealthy

• Next to the Quirinal• Named from vimina (a tree whose branches

are used in basket making, like willows)• The Viminal gate leads to the barracks if the

Praetorian Guard (they protected the emperor)

Esquiline

•Is large enough to be sub-divided•Nero built his palace here•Hadrian built the temple of Venus and Rome•King Tullus Hostilius lived here

Residents were a mix: the upper slopes were for the wealthy and the lower slopes were part of the “slums” called the Subura

Caelian

• Residents were some of the most wealthy• Agrippina built a temple to honor her late

husband, the emperor Claudius• Home to the equites singulares ( the emperor’s

cavalry)

Aventine• Residents were the plebeians (the common people)• The southernmost hill• To the north is the Forum Boarium (cattle market) to the west is the

Tiber River and to the east is the Palatine• Contains the Mons Testaceus (a moutain of pottery shards)• Much of it is public land• Many temples to foreign deities and an ancient one to Ceres due to it

being outside the pomerium

Palatine

• Augustus, the first emperor, made his home here as well as turned it into the administrative head of the city

• Inhabited by the wealthy including some emperors.• Augustus built the Temple of Apollo at the top and Romulus built the

Temple of Jupiter Stator at the bottom• Most of the structures still here were built by Domitian• Was also the home of Cicero, Pompey, and Marc Antony

• The oldest and most prestigious hill, & likely the one on which Rome was founded.

• Contains a replica of the home of Romulus

• Is on one side of the Roman Forum with the Capitoline on the other side.

From a vantage point...With the defensive advantage provided by the hills and the

easy access to the sea provided by the Tiber River and the Roman port city of Ostia, the Romans were able to eventually rule much of what is now Europe, part of Asia and the northern part of Africa.

Rome ruled the worldRomulus founded Rome as a

monarchy serving as her first king. In 509 BC Rome became a republic and was ruled by consuls. Lastly, Rome became an empire with Augustus serving as the very first emperor (not Julius Caesar!). For nearly 1000 years Rome was the wealthiest, largest and the most political city and as such served as the capitol of the Western World .

Map of Rome at Its Greatest Extent

Assignment and Assessment• Can Queen Victoria Eat Cold Apple Pie, is a mnemonic device to

remember the names of 7 hills of Rome. • Create your own way of remembering the names of the hills. It can be

a simple phrase such as above or it can be a poem, song, rap, etc.• For the short “quiz” you need to know:

– When and where Rome was founded.– The Tiber River flows through Rome with Ostia serving as the port city.– Rome has 7 hills; the forum is between the Capitoline

and Palatine hills– Rome was first a monarchy (kings), then a republic

(consuls) and last an empire (emperors)– Romulus was the first king and Augustus was the first

emperor