Viminal Hill

Fourteen miles from the mouth of the Tiber, the monotonous level of the plain through which the river flows is broken by a cluster of hills.

Footnote, the seven hills of historic Rome were the Aventine, the Capitoline, the Colline, the Esquiline, the highest, which is two hundred and eighteen feet, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal.

The Janiculum was on the other side of the Tiber and was held by the early Romans as a stronghold against the Etruscans.

It was connected with Rome by a wooden bridge, the Pons Sublicius, rising to a considerable height, around one of which the Palatine first settled a tribe of Latins called the Romaines, a name gradually changed to Romans.

Thus, Cicero S.D. Pompeo, S.D. equals sends greeting, would be the usual opening of a letter from Cicero to Pompey.

End of chapter 46 Chapter 47 Public Buildings, Squares, etc.

Rome was built on seven hills, the Palatine, the Aventine, the Capitoline, the Esquiline, the largest, the Quirinal, the Viminal, and the Caelian.

There were various public squares.

His men were ready to mount at the blast of the trumpet, and his household was set in order against the absence of its master.

He was standing within the Viminal gate, while an attendant held his horse close by and a little apart from the crowds of weeping women who surrounded the soldiers of the dictator's escort.

Suddenly he felt someone pluck him by the cloak and turned quickly to see a young woman in the single tunic of a slave.

Her dress, however, was of finer texture than that worn by most of her class, and seemed to bespeak a rich mistress and especial favor.

His next was to humor the whim of a child, and his third was to obey humbly and thankfully, without a thought but of Marcia's beauty and his own good fortune.

A word to his slave and another to his horse, whereat the former loosed the bridle, and the latter knelt for his master.

Then came a wild gallop across the crest of the Viminal hill, through the ill-omened street where the wicked Tullia had driven over her father's corpse, into the forum, and out up the new way to the house of Tolquatus.

Throwing his rein to the porter, Sergius entered the court of the atrium, vacant and resounding to the hurried tread of his cothurni.

Footnote.

The seven hills of historic Rome were the Aventine, the Capitoline, the Colian, the Esquiline, the highest, which is 218 feet, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal.

The Janiculum was on the other side of the Tiber and was held by the early Romans as a stronghold against the Etruscans.

It was connected with Rome by a wooden bridge, the Pons Sublicius, rising to a considerable height, around one of which the Palatine first settled a tribe of Latins called the Romneys, a name gradually changed to Romans.

Chapter 47.

Public buildings, squares, etc.

Rome was built on seven hills, the Palatine, the Aventine, the Capitoline, the Esquiline, the largest, the Quirinal, the Viminal, and the Caelian.

There were various public squares.