Saepta
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Saepta Julia was a building in the
Campus Martius The Campus Martius (Latin for the "Field of Mars", Italian ''Campo Marzio'') was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which covers ...
of
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, where citizens gathered to cast votes. The building was conceived by
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
and dedicated by
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. He was responsible for the construction of some of the most notable buildi ...
in 26 BCE. The building replaced an older structure, called the
Ovile The Ovile (Latin, "sheep fold") was an enclosed area of the Campus Martius in Ancient Rome, used for voting. The name came from its resemblance to sheep pens. It was sometimes referred to as the ''Saepta'' (Latin, "enclosure"). It was a wooden struc ...
, built as a place for the ''
comitia tributa The Tribal Assembly (''comitia populi tributa'') was an assembly consisting of all Roman citizens convened by tribes (''tribus''). In the Roman Republic, citizens did not elect legislative representatives. Instead, they voted themselves on legisl ...
'' to gather to cast votes.Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth (eds.), The Oxford Classical Dictionary (1996) — ; available online for a fee The Saepta Julia can be seen on the ''
Forma Urbis Romae The ''Forma Urbis Romae'' or Severan Marble Plan is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between 203 and 211. Matteo Cadario gives specific years of 205–208, noting that the map was based on pro ...
'', a map of the city of Rome as it existed in the early 3rd century CE. Part of the original wall of the Saepta Julia can still be seen right next to the Pantheon.


History

The conception of the Saepta Julia, which also goes by Saepta or Porticus Saeptorum, began during the reign of Julius Caesar. It took the form of a
quadriporticus This page is a glossary of architecture. A B C The Caryatid Porch of the Erech ...
, an architectural feature made popular by Caesar. After Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, work continued on projects that Caesar had set into motion. Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, who had supported Caesar before his death, and subsequently aligned with his successor
Octavian 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 ...
, took on the continuation of the Saepta Julia building project. The building was finally completed and dedicated by
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. He was responsible for the construction of some of the most notable buildi ...
in 26 BCE. Agrippa also decorated the building with marble tablets and Greek paintings. The
Great Fire of Rome The Great Fire of Rome ( la, incendium magnum Romae) occurred in July AD 64. The fire began in the merchant shops around Rome's chariot stadium, Circus Maximus, on the night of 19 July. After six days, the fire was brought under control, but before ...
led to its destruction in 80 CE, and was rebuilt sometime before the reign of Domitian. Restoration also took place under Hadrian, as is evidenced by brick-work and literary sources. The building is also attested on a post-
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
bronze collar of a slave, but there is no known mention of the building in the Middle Ages. The Saepta Julia can be seen on the ''
Forma Urbis Romae The ''Forma Urbis Romae'' or Severan Marble Plan is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between 203 and 211. Matteo Cadario gives specific years of 205–208, noting that the map was based on pro ...
'', a map of the city of Rome as it existed in the early 3rd century CE. Part of the original wall of the Saepta Julia can still be seen right next to the Pantheon


Plan

Due to the limited archaeological remains, the majority of archaeological reconstructions are derived from the
Forma Urbis Romae The ''Forma Urbis Romae'' or Severan Marble Plan is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between 203 and 211. Matteo Cadario gives specific years of 205–208, noting that the map was based on pro ...
and corresponding literary sources. Located on the Campus Martius, between the
Baths of Agrippa The Baths of Agrippa (Latin: Thermae Agrippae) was a structure of ancient Rome, in what is now Italy, built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. It was the first of the great thermae constructed in the city, and also the first public bath. History In th ...
and the
Serapeum A serapeum is a temple or other religious institution dedicated to the syncretic Greco-Egyptian deity Serapis, who combined aspects of Osiris and Apis in a humanized form that was accepted by the Ptolemaic Greeks of Alexandria. There were seve ...
, the Saepta Julia was a rectangular porticus complex, which extended along the west side of the
Via Lata The Via del Corso is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is straight in an area otherwise characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas. Considered a wide street in ancient times, the Corso is approximately 10 metres w ...
to the Via di S. Marco. It was 310 meters long by 120 meters wide and was built of travertine marble. Two porticoes lay on the east and west of the complex. The north end was a lobby, and the south side connected to the
Diribitorium The diribitorium was a public voting hall situated on the campus Martius in Ancient Rome. In this building, the votes cast by the people were counted by ''diribitores'' (election officials). Construction of the building was started by Marcus Agrippa ...
through an uncolonnaded, broad corridor. The only entrances that have been discerned are minor entrances on the south end of the complex. Archaeological excavations underneath the Palazzo Doria uncovered multiple travertine piers. While the majority of the piers measured 1.7 meters square, other piers showed a variety of dimensions. This has led some scholars to speculate on the existence of a second floor. The Saepta was supplied with water by
Aqua Virgo The Aqua Virgo was one of the eleven Roman aqueducts that supplied the city of ancient Rome. It was completed in 19 BC by Marcus Agrippa, during the reign of the emperor Augustus and was built mainly to supply the contemporaneous Baths of Agrip ...
, which supplied the majority of buildings on the Campus Martius.


Porticus Argonautarum

The
Porticus Argonautarum The Porticus Argonautarum (portico of the Argonauts; it, Portico degli Argonauti) (also known as the Portico of Agrippa) was an ancient structure in Rome. The building was located in the Saepta Julia, a large square in the Campus Martius used for ...
lined the western side of the Saepta Julia. It was completed by
Agrippa Agrippa may refer to: People Antiquity * Agrippa (mythology), semi-mythological king of Alba Longa * Agrippa (astronomer), Greek astronomer from the late 1st century * Agrippa the Skeptic, Skeptic philosopher at the end of the 1st century * Agri ...
ca. 25 BCE, and received its name from the artwork it depicted, which showed
Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
and the
Argonauts The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, '' Argo'', ...
. A portion of the western wall survives, and is located beside the
Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...
, and suggests that it was made of brick-faced concrete, and covered in marble. Reconstructed by Domitian after the fire of 80 CE, this portico was also part of Hadrian's reconstruction of the entire Saepta Julia.


Porticus Meleagri

The Porticus Meleagri lined the eastern side of the Saepta Julia. Little remains of the Porticus Meleagri, and location and reconstruction rely primarily on the
Forma Urbis Romae The ''Forma Urbis Romae'' or Severan Marble Plan is a massive marble map of ancient Rome, created under the emperor Septimius Severus between 203 and 211. Matteo Cadario gives specific years of 205–208, noting that the map was based on pro ...
. Although not mentioned, it was most likely constructed during the final decades of the first century BCE, along with the dedication of the Saepta.


Use

The concept of the Saepta was initially planned by Caesar in place of the earlier
Ovile The Ovile (Latin, "sheep fold") was an enclosed area of the Campus Martius in Ancient Rome, used for voting. The name came from its resemblance to sheep pens. It was sometimes referred to as the ''Saepta'' (Latin, "enclosure"). It was a wooden struc ...
, and was projected as early as 54 BCE, and finished by Agrippa in 26 BCE. In a letter to Atticus, Cicero writes that the building was to be made of marble, with a lofty portico and a roof. The building was initially intended to be used as a voting place for both the
comitia centuriata The Centuriate Assembly (Latin: ''comitia centuriata'') of the Roman Republic was one of the three voting assemblies in the Roman constitution. It was named the Centuriate Assembly as it originally divided Roman citizens into groups of one hundred ...
and the
comitia tributa The Tribal Assembly (''comitia populi tributa'') was an assembly consisting of all Roman citizens convened by tribes (''tribus''). In the Roman Republic, citizens did not elect legislative representatives. Instead, they voted themselves on legisl ...
. However, with the diminishing importance of the voting comitias from the Augustan period onward, the building began to be repurposed. Gladiatorial combats were exhibited during the period of Augustus, and the building was also used by the senate as a meeting point. When Tiberius returned from Germany, after his military procession, he was presented in this building by Augustus. Both Augustus and Caligula used this building for
naumachia The naumachia (in Latin , from the Ancient Greek /, literally "naval combat") in the Ancient Roman world referred to both the staging of naval battles as mass entertainment, and the basin or building in which this took place. Early The first ...
e. It was used for gymnastics competitions and exhibitions during the reign of Nero. Statius and Martial report that it was used intermittently as a public space for Roman citizens, as well as a market for luxury goods.


See also

*
Porticus Argonautarum The Porticus Argonautarum (portico of the Argonauts; it, Portico degli Argonauti) (also known as the Portico of Agrippa) was an ancient structure in Rome. The building was located in the Saepta Julia, a large square in the Campus Martius used for ...
*
Diribitorium The diribitorium was a public voting hall situated on the campus Martius in Ancient Rome. In this building, the votes cast by the people were counted by ''diribitores'' (election officials). Construction of the building was started by Marcus Agrippa ...


References

{{Authority control Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Rome Roman archaeology Augustan building projects Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century BC