The Campus Martius
The
Campus Martius (Latin - meaning Field of
Mars in English, Mars being the God of War) was a flat plain between the
Quirinal and Capitoline Hills. In
Livy’s History (2.5.2), he mentions
that it was only once the Tarquin royal family had been banished from Rome that
their land, located between the Tiber River and city of Rome and formerly
privately owned, ‘was consecrated to Mars
and became the Campus Martius’. Originally serving as a military training ground,
recruits in the Roman Army used the field to train with javelins and shields
and practice marching, wrestling, jumping and swimming, the latter of which was
practiced in the Tiber River. Other than these exercises, the site, spanning
approximately 490 acres, was also used for the Equus Octobus horse race held in
honour of Mars, to graze sheep and horses, and to cultivate grain. In
a source by 4th Century historian Festus, it is stated that after the
horse races, the winning animal would be beheaded, this head becoming a prize
coveted by the people of Subura and those of the Via Sacra. The animal’s tail
would be taken to the Regia, where its blood was dripped upon the hearth as an
offering to Mars.
Located within the confines of the Campus Martius were several buildings important to the ancient Romans, the most significant being the Temple of Mars (which archaeologists have been unable to locate and unearth to this date), which had obviously significance to the Roman military given the association of the god Mars with war. The other centrally important architectural structure was the Emperor Hadrian’s Pantheon. The construction of this building was finished c. 125 CE, and its structure and décor resembles that of a temple.
Located within the confines of the Campus Martius were several buildings important to the ancient Romans, the most significant being the Temple of Mars (which archaeologists have been unable to locate and unearth to this date), which had obviously significance to the Roman military given the association of the god Mars with war. The other centrally important architectural structure was the Emperor Hadrian’s Pantheon. The construction of this building was finished c. 125 CE, and its structure and décor resembles that of a temple.
The
Pantheon features a 1.3 metre tall base, which initially stretched 7 metres
from the colonnade and gave way to Numidian yellow marble steps. The inscription
on the architrave of the Pantheon reads: ‘M. AGRIPPA L.F. COS TERTIUM FECIT’,
and translates to Marcus Agrippa, son of
Lucius, three-time consul, made this. The lower inscription, ‘pantheum
vetustate corruptum cum omni cultu restituerunt’, translates to with every refinement they restored the
Pantheon, worn by age. The concrete and brick dome of the structure is of
Roman style, whilst the 33.1 x 13.6 metre porch resembles more Classical Greek
architecture. The decorative reliefs
on the porch feature subjects similar to those on shrines to the gods, yet as
the Temple of Mars was already located within the Campus Martius it is unlikely
that it was dedicated to Mars, and therefore any other god as this area was
sacred to the God of War. One possibility as to the purpose of the Pantheon
suggested by historians is that it may have been used as a public receptacle
for the emperor when he made public attendances, and that the temple-like
structure was to emphasise to the public the man’s prestige and power, comparing
it to that of a god. The other theory is that rather than being devoted to a
single god, the Pantheon was a place of worship for all gods.
Because it was forbidden for foreign armies to enter the
actual city of Rome, visiting military forces, as well as political bodies, were accommodated within the boundaries of
the Campus Martius. This is known from various written historical sources,
including Gellius’ Attic Nights
(15.27.5), in which it is stated that:
‘It is forbidden that the Centuriate Assembly [one of three voting assemblies in the Roman constitution] convene inside the pomerium, since an army can be commanded only outside the city; inside, there is no such right. Therefore the Centuriate Assembly is held in the Campus Martius.’
The reliability of this source is highly assured, as Gellius himself was Latin writer, raised in Rome and who later held a judicial office there. Although not a historian (wrote Attic Nights, his only known works, about society as it was during his life, not before), Gellius is even more reliable as a source on ancient Rome as his writings are primary sources; he wrote about life as it was, and he was also well educated, having been schooled in Athens, making him appear even more reliable.
‘It is forbidden that the Centuriate Assembly [one of three voting assemblies in the Roman constitution] convene inside the pomerium, since an army can be commanded only outside the city; inside, there is no such right. Therefore the Centuriate Assembly is held in the Campus Martius.’
The reliability of this source is highly assured, as Gellius himself was Latin writer, raised in Rome and who later held a judicial office there. Although not a historian (wrote Attic Nights, his only known works, about society as it was during his life, not before), Gellius is even more reliable as a source on ancient Rome as his writings are primary sources; he wrote about life as it was, and he was also well educated, having been schooled in Athens, making him appear even more reliable.
Questions:
1. What was the Campus Martius primarily used for?
2. Why was the Campus used as lodging when Rome had reason to accommodate foreign armies?
1. What was the Campus Martius primarily used for?
2. Why was the Campus used as lodging when Rome had reason to accommodate foreign armies?
Bibliography:
Cartwright, M. (16.1.2014). Mars, Retrieved from: http://www.ancient.eu/Mars/
Cartwright, M. (12.6.2013). Pantheon, Retrieved from: http://www.ancient.eu/Pantheon/
Conlin, D. A., & Jacobs, P. W. (2015). Campus Martius: The Field of Mars in the Life of Ancient Rome, Cambridge University Press, Angus & Robertson, Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=7paiBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=campus+martius+baths+swimming&source=bl&ots=U7LqrEArRq&sig =tMWNAaf4pDHb6gLH9v2jFZZGA64&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAWoVChMIlpfivv6uxwIVCZ-UCh1URQMa#v=onepage&q=campus%20martius%20baths%20swimming&f=false
Darling, D. (n.d.). Roman Army, Retrieved from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia_of_history/R/Roman_army.html
Encyclopaedia Britannica, (n.d.). Campus Martius, Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/place/Campus-Martius
Mirabilia Urbis Tours, (2009). Campus Martius: Rome’s Historic Center, Retrieved from: http://www.rome-tours.com/campusmartius.php
University of Virginia, (2008). Campus Martius, Retrieved from: http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.com/ge/GF-005.html
University of Virginia, (2008). Regia, Retrieved from: http://archive1.village.virginia.edu/spw4s/RomanForum/GoogleEarth/AK_GE/AK_HTML/TS-011.html
Wikipedia, (5.5.2015). Aulus Gellius, Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Gellius
Cartwright, M. (16.1.2014). Mars, Retrieved from: http://www.ancient.eu/Mars/
Cartwright, M. (12.6.2013). Pantheon, Retrieved from: http://www.ancient.eu/Pantheon/
Conlin, D. A., & Jacobs, P. W. (2015). Campus Martius: The Field of Mars in the Life of Ancient Rome, Cambridge University Press, Angus & Robertson, Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=7paiBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=campus+martius+baths+swimming&source=bl&ots=U7LqrEArRq&sig =tMWNAaf4pDHb6gLH9v2jFZZGA64&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAWoVChMIlpfivv6uxwIVCZ-UCh1URQMa#v=onepage&q=campus%20martius%20baths%20swimming&f=false
Darling, D. (n.d.). Roman Army, Retrieved from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia_of_history/R/Roman_army.html
Encyclopaedia Britannica, (n.d.). Campus Martius, Retrieved from: http://www.britannica.com/place/Campus-Martius
Mirabilia Urbis Tours, (2009). Campus Martius: Rome’s Historic Center, Retrieved from: http://www.rome-tours.com/campusmartius.php
University of Virginia, (2008). Campus Martius, Retrieved from: http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.com/ge/GF-005.html
University of Virginia, (2008). Regia, Retrieved from: http://archive1.village.virginia.edu/spw4s/RomanForum/GoogleEarth/AK_GE/AK_HTML/TS-011.html
Wikipedia, (5.5.2015). Aulus Gellius, Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulus_Gellius