The Porticus of Livia (Latin: porticus Liviae) was a portico in

Regio III Isis et Serapis The Regio III Isis et Serapis was the third regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio III took its name from the double sanctuary of Isis and Serapis, in the area of the Via Praenestina, containing the valley that was ...

of ancient Rome. It was built by

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

in honour of his wife

Livia Drusilla Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC – 28 September AD 29) was a Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Emperor Augustus Caesar. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14. Livia was the ...

and is located on the

Esquiline Hill The Esquiline Hill (; la, Collis Esquilinus; it, Esquilino ) is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Its southernmost cusp is the ''Oppius'' ( Oppian Hill). Etymology The origin of the name ''Esquiline'' is still under much debate. One view is ...

. Although little of its structure survives now, it was one of the most prominent porticos in the ancient city. The so-called Ara Concordia was located either in or near to the portico.

Location

The

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

is located in Regio III of ancient Rome, which is named for a sanctuary of

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

in the area, and includes parts of the Esquiline and

Oppian Oppian ( grc, Ὀππιανός, ; la, Oppianus), also known as Oppian of Anazarbus, of Corycus, or of Cilicia, was a 2nd-century Greco-Roman poet during the reign of the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, who composed the ''Halieutica'', a fi ...

hills. The structure itself was found between the Via delle Sette Sale and the Via in Selci (the latter was called the "Clivus Suburanus" in ancient times). The structure was built on the estate of a rich

freedman A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), emancipation (granted freedom a ...

named

Publius Vedius Pollio Publius Vedius Pollio (died 15 BC) was a Roman of equestrian rank, and a friend of the Roman emperor Augustus, who appointed him to a position of authority in the province of Asia. In later life, he became infamous for his luxurious tastes and crue ...

, who left his house and land to Augustus upon his death. His large estate was in the midst of the fairly crowded

Subura The Suburra, or ''Subura'' (unknown etymology), was a vast and populous neighborhood of Ancient Rome, located below the '' Murus Terreus'' on the ''Carinae'' and stretching on the slopes of the Quirinal and Viminal hills up to the offshoots of th ...

neighbourhood, and the new leisure space was probably welcomed by the residents of the area. The portico was so close to the

Baths of Trajan The Baths of Trajan ( it, Terme di Traiano) were a massive ''thermae'', a bathing and leisure complex, built in ancient Rome starting from 104 AD and dedicated during the ''kalendae'' of July in 109. Commissioned by Emperor Trajan, the complex of ...

that the north corner of the baths almost touched the southwest corner of the portico. To the north of the portico, a basilica was built in late antiquity (

San Martino ai Monti San Martino ai Monti, officially known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti ("Saints Sylvester & Martin in the Mountains"), is a minor basilica in Rome, Italy, in the Rione Monti neighbourhood. It is located near the edge of the Parco del Colle ...

), although there are remains of a Roman building below it that some say was a house-church on the property of an early Christian named Equitius. Nero's sprawling house, the

Domus Aurea The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped complex built by the Emperor Nero largely on the Oppian Hill in the heart of ancient Rome after the great fire in 64 AD had destroyed a large part of the city.Roth (1993) It repla ...

, was built just south of this portico as well.

Construction

Construction began on the portico in approximately 15 BCE upon the death of Vedius Pollio, and it was dedicated in January of 7 BCE. The dedication was connected with the celebration of a

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

, and both Tiberius and Livia hosted banquets for the occasion. Livia alone received credit for the Ara Concordia, which was dedicated separately from the portico on June 11, the feast day of

Mater Matuta Mater Matuta was an indigenous Latin goddess, whom the Romans eventually made equivalent to the dawn goddess Aurora, and the Greek goddess Eos. Her cult is attested several places in Latium; her most famous temple was located at Satricum. In Rome ...

Structure and archaeology

There are no visible remains of the portico today, but its dimensions and basic structure are known. It was rectangular, measuring about 120 meters in length and 95 meters in width; one of the short ends was aligned with the Clivus Suburanus. The Severan Marble Plan (see image above) thankfully preserves parts of the portico, showing its large rectangular shape, the double colonnade, the rectangular enclosure in the middle, and the access points to the streets. The portico included gardens, walking space, and works of art such as paintings, creating a luxurious and leisurely area. It is notable that this was a public space, and its construction supported Augustus' ideals of reducing private displays of wealth in favour of public building projects. Archaeological excavations in 1984 show that the portico was almost completely destroyed; the only evidence that remains is the rough floor levels and later burials on the site.

Literary evidence

The portico is mentioned in a variety of ancient works. Ovid's description in his ''Fasti'' emphasizes Livia's piety in dedicating the Ara Concordia, as well as the significance of Augustus replacing a luxurious private house. Ovid also includes the Porticus of Livia in his ''Ars Amatoria'' list of good places to pick up women:

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

the geographer names the portico as one of the most splendid monuments in central Rome.

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

lists it in his ''Lives of the Caesars'' as one of the monuments that Augustus built on behalf of his family members (along with the

portico of Octavia The Porticus Octaviae (Portico of Octavia; it, Portico di Ottavia) is an ancient structure in Rome. The colonnaded walks of the portico enclosed the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina, as well as a library. The structure was used as a fi ...

, the

theatre of Marcellus The Theatre of Marcellus ( la, Theatrum Marcelli, it, Teatro di Marcello) is an ancient open-air theatre in Rome, Italy, built in the closing years of the Roman Republic. At the theatre, locals and visitors alike were able to watch performances o ...

, and others).

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

also mentions the portico in his ''Roman History,'' which was written about 200 years after the portico was constructed. In Book 54 of his work he criticizes the character of

Vedius Pollio Publius Vedius Pollio (died 15 BC) was a Roman of equestrian rank, and a friend of the Roman emperor Augustus, who appointed him to a position of authority in the province of Asia. In later life, he became infamous for his luxurious tastes and crue ...

, describing him as so wealthy and so cruel that he threw his slaves into a pool of carnivorous eels if they displeased him. Allegedly, Augustus visited Pollio and was displeased with his cruelty; therefore, after Pollio died and left the emperor his estate, Augustus' choice to tear down his house was based as much on spite as on the desire to build a public work in Livia's name. In Book 55 of his ''History,'' he also describes Tiberius' involvement with the portico and the festivities that accompanied its dedication. The temple of Concordia which Tiberius worked to repair was in the

Roman forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

, and it is not related to the Ara Concordia attributed to Livia.

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

mentions the portico in his Natural History as well, but only in reference to a certain vine which grew over the walkways of the portico, supposedly capable of producing 12 amphorae of juice per year.

Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...

also references the portico of Livia in his

Letters Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...

simply as a private meeting place. The monument is also listed in Regio III of the '' Notitia'', the 4th century Regionary Catalogues of Rome.

Ara Concordiae

Most scholars assume that the rectangular structure in the middle of the portico is the Ara Concordia, since Livia was strongly connected to the deity and the Ara is mentioned by

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

in connection with this portico. The layout of the center structure is reminiscent of the Ara Pacis, with what seems to be an outer enclosure and an inner altar area; there were four fountains on the corners of the enclosure. However, the Ara Concordia is not named in the Severan Marble Plan, and it is not certain that this is the "magnificent shrine" (''magnifica aede'') to which Ovid is referring, or if the Ara Concordia was somewhere else nearby. Wherever it was located though, this altar would have been an important symbol of the traditional family values that Augustus so strongly supported during his reign. The "aede" of Concordia could be interpreted as a symbol of marital harmony between Livia and Augustus; the surrounding portico would have been another symbol of family unity due to its dedication by Livia and her son.

Later use

According to excavations carried out in 1984, there is evidence that the portico area continued to be used into the 5th century CE. These excavations discovered the Augustan-era paving, as well as post-Augustan levels (these levels being 10–6 meters below the current surface level). However, by the mid-6th century CE, the area was being used for burials instead.

References

{{reflist

External links

Model of Rome
Portico of Livia Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Rome Augustan building projects Livia