The Regio V Esquiliae is the fifth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio V took its name from the Esquiline Hill. It contains parts of the Oppian Hill and Cispian Hill (two minor hills close to the city center) and of the Esquiline, plus the plain just outside the Servian walls.
Regio V was dominated by the limits of the Esquiline Hill and its northern and southern extensions, the Oppian and Cispian Hills respectively. Its western and southern limits were eventually enclosed by the Aurelian Walls, while to the north its limit was the Vicus Patricius and the Clivus Suburanus to the east. One of the larger regions due to the inclusion of the Campus Esquilinus, a measurement taken at the end of the 4th century recorded that the perimeter of the region was 15,600 Roman feet (approximately 4.61km). [1]
The region of the Esquiline was mainly inhabited by the poorest classes in the city, and the emperors of the second and third centuries provided a number of pleasure-grounds and baths for their convenience. [2] Chief amongst these was the Lake of Orpheus, a large man-made reservoir dominated by a statue of Orpheus. It was situated close by the Church of Santa Lucia in Selci. Another fountain, this one containing a magnificent façade, was the Nymphaeum of Alexander, erected by Severus Alexander, and was probably fed off the Aqua Julia . The remains of the fountain were long mistakenly called the Trophy of Marius and it situated where the modern Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II lies. [3] Additional entertainment was also provided in the Amphitheatrum Castrense , an amphitheatre built in the third century during the Severan period.
The region also contained the Macellum Liviae , a shopping complex built by Augustus in honour of his wife Livia, the location of which is now occupied by the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and surrounding streets. The region was also the site of the station of the second cohort of the Vigiles , beyond which grew the Gardens of Pallas, established by Pallas, the secretary of the emperor Claudius. A Temple to Hercules, possibly the Temple of Hercules Custos existed in this region, along with another nymphaeum, the so-called Temple of Minerva Medica. The area also included a sanctuary to the goddess Isis, the Isidem patriciam, situated on the Vicus Patricius; this street also contained the Baths of Novatus. Finally, the Thermae of Olympias was also in this region, on the southern slopes of the Viminal Hill, which the Church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna now occupies. [4]
The region contained two flat plains, both beyond the Servian Walls – the Campus Viminalis and the Campus Esquilinus. At the turn of the 5th century, the Regio contained 15 aediculae (shrines), 180 domūs (patrician houses), 22 horrea (warehouses), 75 balneae (bath houses) and 74 loci (fountains). [5]
At the turn of the 5th century, the Regio was divided into 15 vici (districts) and 3,850 insulae (blocks). It had two curators and was served by 48 Roman magistrates. [6]
The Esquiline Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. Its southernmost cusp is the Oppius.
The Caelian Hill is one of the famous seven hills of Rome.
In 7 BC, Augustus divided the city of Rome into 14 administrative regions. These replaced the four regiones — or "quarters" — traditionally attributed to Servius Tullius, sixth king of Rome. They were further divided into official neighborhoods.
The Baths of Trajan were a massive thermae, a bathing and leisure complex, built in ancient Rome starting from 104 AD and dedicated during the Kalends of July in 109. Commissioned by Emperor Trajan, the complex of baths occupied space on the southern side of the Oppian Hill on the outskirts of what was then the main developed area of the city, although still inside the boundary of the Servian Wall. The architect of the complex is said to be Apollodorus of Damascus. The baths were being utilized mainly as a recreational and social center by Roman citizens, both men and women, as late as the early 5th century. The complex seems to have been deserted soon afterwards as a cemetery dated to the 5th century has been found in front of the northeastern exedra. The baths were thus no longer in use at the time of the siege of Rome by the Ostrogoths in 537; with the destruction of the Roman aqueducts, all thermae were abandoned, as was the whole of the now-waterless Mons Oppius. Early Christian writers misnamed the remains the 'Baths of Domitian'.
Campus Esquilinus was an area on the Esquiline Hill, in the ancient Rome. It was the site of many extravagant buildings as well as baths and gardens. The Campus Esquilinus was also the site of executions and burials, though it was eventually turned into a park by Augustus.
The Oppian Hill is the southern spur of the Esquiline Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, Italy. It is separated from the Cispius on the north by the valley of the Suburra, and from the Caelian Hill on the south by the valley of the Colosseum. The Oppius and the Cispius together form the Esquiline plateau just inside the line of the Servian Wall.
The Regio I Porta Capena is the first regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio I took its name from the Porta Capena, a gate of the Servian Walls, through which the Appian Way entered the city prior to the construction of the Aurelian Walls.
The Regio II Caelimontium is the second regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. It took its name from the Caelian Hill, which the region was centred on.
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 to be the future site of the Colosseum, and parts of the Oppian and Esquiline hills.
The Regio IV Templum Pacis is the fourth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio IV took its name from the Temple of Peace built in the region by the emperor Vespasian. It includes the valley between the Esquiline and the Viminal hills, the popular area of the Subura, and the Velian Hill.
The Regio VI Alta Semita is the sixth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio VI took its name from the street passing over the Quirinal Hill. It was a large regio that also encompassed the Viminal Hill, the lower slopes of the Pincian, and the valleys in-between.
The Regio VII Via Lata is the seventh regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio VII took its name from the wide urban street the Via Lata. It was the urban section of the Via Flaminia, which ran between the Servian walls and the Aurelian Walls, and corresponds to the modern Via del Corso. The regio contained part of the Campus Martius on the east of the street plus the Collis Hortulorum, the Pincian Hill.
The Regio VIII Forum Romanum Magnum is the eighth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio VIII took its name from the Roman Forum, the political epicentre of Ancient Rome.
The Regio IX Circus Flaminius is the ninth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio IX took its name from the racecourse located in the southern end of the Campus Martius, close to Tiber Island.
The Regio X Palatium is the tenth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio X took its name from the Palatine Hill and the imperial palaces located on it.
The Regio XI Circus Maximus is the eleventh regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio XI took its name from the Circus Maximus, located in the valley between the Palatine and the Aventine hills.
The Regio XII Piscina Publica is the twelfth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio XII took its name from the Piscina Publica, a swimming pool that disappeared during the middle imperial period.
The Regio XIII Aventinus is the thirteenth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Regio XIII took its name from the hill which dominated the region, the Aventine.
The Regio XIV Transtiberim is the fourteenth regio of imperial Rome, under Augustus's administrative reform. Meaning "across the Tiber", the Regio took its name from its position on the west bank of the Tiber River.