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arched, and the side ones horizontal with columns supporting a pediment (see Donaldson's Architectura Numismatica, 228). The façade erected by Michael Angelo is 24 feet long, composed of blocks of Greek marble, and they have not drafted edges. This does not agree with the blocks of Carrara marble found on the Regia site. This façade of 54 feet would not fit any of the sides of the Regia, and they do not represent the Regia as now discovered.

Owing to the recent heavy rains the Tiber has risen, and is backing up into the city through the drains. As I write this the Forum is under water, so we may again realise the flood described by Horace

Vidimus flavum Tiberim retortis

Littore Etrusco' violenter undis
Ire dejectum monumenta regis
Templaque Vestæ.

(Odes, i, 2.)

FONS JUTURNÆ,

On the east side of the Vicus ad Capita Bubula, opposite the three columns of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the actual spring or fountain of Juturna, the

deep pool" of Dionysius, was discovered in September, about 13 feet below the level of the vicus. In the centre of a well-house of the time of Tiberius, 44 feet from north to south, 30 feet east to west, rises a rectangular base 6 feet north to south, 9 feet east to west, 9 feet high, upon which probably stood the twin gods and their horses, as represented on a denarius of the Gens Postumia, struck by the consul A. Albinus 110 B.C., and of which broken fragments have been found, the actual springs being off the north and east corners. Surrounding this base is the pool, 4 feet wide on its eastern and western sides, and 6 feet wide on its north and south sides. On the north, south, and west sides of the pool is a ledge 5 feet wide, level with the top of the central base. The east side is partly covered by a blind arch 1 feet deep, but it has no ledge. On the other three sides, 4 feet above the ledge, is a travertine

1 The right bank is in Etruria.

threshold 2 feet wide, then a platform of 5 feet to the enclosure walls. From the threshold to the bottom of the pool is 13 feet. The pool, base, and ledges were lined with white marble slabs, of which considerable remains exist. On the east side of the base, between it and the blind archway wall, the water space was divided off by a slab of white marble 4 feet 3 inches long by 3 feet 2 inches high, part of an inscription re-used

POTEST XVIII
COLONIA. IV

TERTIA DECIA

VTHINA. EX

INDVLGENTIA. EIVS. AV

Within the pool was found an altar in peperino of the Republic, many terra-cotta vases of various periods, a well-preserved bust of Jupiter, fragments of a group of the Dioscuri, and a white marble altar 53 inches high and 18 inches wide. Upon the front face is a relief of Castor and Pollux, on the left Jupiter, on the right Leda and the Swan, and on the rear Vesta, with a long flaming torch in her hands. It is of the time of Tiberius, who restored the Temple of Castor (Suetonius, Tib., 20; Dion Cassius, lv, 27), and probably the pool at the same time, the walls of opus reticulatum with which the ledges are constructed not being later than his period. The pool was originally 7 feet longer on its eastern side and was faced with blocks of tufa stone. There were no ledges. The coating of opus signinum which lined the west tufa wall can be seen between it and the filling in ledge of opus reticulatum. reticulatum. Behind the east side of the pool is a chamber 11 feet wide with a tank-bath 23 feet wide sunk in the floor, the east side of which is the original tufa wall of the east side of the pool. This chamber communicates with a shrine of Esculapius, for the spring had some medicinal properties (Frontinus, i, 4), the tank being used by the patients. In this shrine were found mutilated statues of Apollo, Esculapius, and Hygieia, which have been pieced together and placed in their niches. The base of the physician has a very indistinct inscription. Esculapius has by his side the serpent and his son Telesphorus, who

is holding a cock by its wings in his left hand, and has a sacrificial knife in his right hand. The construction of this consultation room or shrine is of the time of Hadrian, opus reticulatum set in frames of brickwork; its floor, of opus spicatum, and that of the bath-chamber are level with the platform entering the well-house. The pool is shown on the piece of the marble plan of Rome found near this site in 1882.

To the south, more under the Palatine, a spring was found in August, about half-way along the side of the Scale Annulariæ (Suetonius, Aug. 72) with its cippolo marble well-head perfect. On its face is inscribed in characters of the time of Augustus—

M. BARBATIVS. POLLIO

AED. CVR.

IVTVRNAI. SACRVM

PVTEAL

The last word was added in the time of Hadrian. The inscription, without the last word, is repeated on the surface of the rim of the well-curb. Barbatius Pollio was quæstor to Lucius Antoninus 41 B.C. (Appian, Do Bell. Civil., v, 7, 31; Cicero, 13th Philippic, ii). He was Curule Edile under Augustus. We believe that whilst the pool was open to the public this spring was reserved to the Vestals, who supplied the sacrifices with living water (Tacitus, Hist., iv, 53; Dionysius, i, 77). They used it daily to sprinkle and purify their temple (Plutarch, Numa, 13, where he confuses it with the fountain of Egeria, over a mile away; as does Servius, Æn., xii, 139, with that at Laurentia, Statius IV, v, 35). It is 13 feet deep and 3 feet in diameter. In it were found broken terra-cotta vases of all dates, and a well-preserved Christian lamp of the third century.

In front of the well, but placed at a different angle, is a small altar of the time of Hadrian 3 feet by 1 feet, also of cippolo marble, standing on a platform approached by a wide step on its west side. On the face of the altar is a relief of Turnus and Juturna, for although she was the Italian goddess of spring, Virgil (En., xii, 139) makes her the sister of Turnus.

Behind the altar and well is an adicula or shrine,

11 feet long by 6 feet wide, raised 9 feet above the altar platform, with a curved apse at the end, with a base for a statue, probably the seated fragment now in the shrine of Esculapius. Part of the architrave was found, inscribed

1. V:T.:RNAI .S

Another piece is inscribed PEVIAE. These letters were filled in with bronze. A cippus was found bearing the inscription

part of another—

GENIO
STATIONIS

AQVARVM

. RSENVS. FORTVNATVS. V. C CVRATOR. AQVARVM. ET MINICIAE.

This shrine is enclosed in a rectangular chamber of a different orientation. The group of rooms surrounding the pool and well formed a station of the city water supply for the eighth region or ward. Just before reaching the well is a pedestal of 328 A.D.

OPTIMO ET VENERABILI

D. N. FL. CONSTANTINO
MAXIMO VICTORI PIO
SEMPER AVG.

FL. MAESIVS EGNATIVS

LOLLIANVS V. C. CVRATOR

AQVAR. ET MINIC. D. N'. M. Q. E

On the left side is

DEDICATA. CVM. STATIONE

A. FL. LOLLIANO . C. V. CVR
KAL. MARTIS

IANVARINO. ET. IVSTO. CONSS

The Porticus of Minucius consisted of colonnades, called Vetus and Frumentaria, erected 177 B.C. for the distribution of corn. Slight remains exist in the Piazza

1 Minicia devotus numini.

Montanara. Part of it was destroyed in 1879 (Cicero, 2nd Phil., 34; Paterculus, ii, 8; Lampridius, Commodus, 16).

THE CHURCH OF S. SILVESTRO IN LACU.

On the site of the church of S. M. Liberatrice, destroyed in 1900, there was a church known as S. Silvestro in Lacu, commemorating the fight between Silvester and the dragon; and the spring of Juturna. This church was discovered in September behind the shrine of Juturna, which is erected against its north side, beneath the nave of S. M. Liberatrice. It is reached by a passage off the Vicus which leads into a court retaining traces of Christian frescoes. The church has more width than depth, and in the centre of the east end is a wide shallow apse with a most interesting fresco of the fifth century. A group of rows of about thirty almost life-size male figures are standing in a pool of water which reaches up to their knees; they have short kilts on, the upper part of their bodies being nude. To the right a figure is stepping up out of the water, to the right of whom are two soldiers, as if on guard. Probably this figure is Constantine; if so, this is the oldest representation of his baptism. Legend says he was baptised by Silvester at Rome, history that he was baptised at Nicomedia just before dying. Behind the neophyte and guards is a dark vaulted building from which flows an abundant stream of water into the baptismal pool, evidently intended for the Lacus Juturnæ, as though Constantine was baptised in it.

On the wall to the left of the apse are three large circles with a cross occupying the whole field, from which are suspended lamps. In the centre of the crosses were heads, the middle one only, of our Saviour, being preserved. Beneath the crosses are peacocks and sheep, emblematic of the immortality of the Christian flock.

On the north wall of the church are represented the figures of twenty-six saints in a row. All have the nimbus, which was not used in Christian art till the fifth century, alternately light and dark in colour. In the centre above the row of saints is a medallion portrait of Christ with a plain nimbus. The absence of the cross

L

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