Porta Esquilina

The Porta Esquilina was a gate of ancient Rome in the Servian Wall. As Gallienusbogen ( arco di Gallieno ) it is still preserved today.

Location

The Porta Esquilina lay on the eponymous hills, the Esquiline Hill, on the southern end of the strongest part of the Servian Wall, the agger. Within the city led the clivus Suburanus, the main street of the Subura, Porta Esquilina. Outside the wall began her Via Labicana, a side branch of the Via Latina, and after Praeneste leading Via Praenestina ( although they were probably still united for some distance outside the city ), and probably the Via Tiburtina after Tibur.

History

In the Republican period were outside the gate sand pits and simple burial grounds until the end of the 1st century BC Maecenas there was extensive parks, horti Maecenates create, which were after his death imperial possession. The gate itself was apparently expire at this time. Augustus let it sit like other city gates repaired. In the year 262 it was ordained by an inscription on the triumphal arch for the Emperor Gallienus, after which it is named today. The original Augustan inscription on the parapet was repaid. The roughly square building of travertine from Tivoli had except under an archway, two small side passages that were abandoned in the late Middle Ages, while the main part is still preserved (height: 8.80 m, width: 7,30 m, depth: 3, 50 m).