Aventine Hill
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Aventine Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome |
||
|---|---|---|
| In Latin / Italian | Aventinus mons / Colle Aventino |
|
| Rione | Ripa | |
| Buildings | Roman Forum, Circus Maximus | |
| People | Ancus Marcius, Lucius Opimius, Marcus Fulvius Flaccus, Naevius, Pope Sixtus III | |
| Events | Chariot racing, Aventine secession |
|
| Ancient Roman religion | Bacchanalia, Sacred fire of Vesta | |
| Mythological figures | Artemis, Bona Dea, Ceres, Cacus, Dionysus, Diana, Heracles, Mercury, Selene, Vertumnus | |
|
The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to the rione of Ripa.
[edit] Etymology
Its etymology is traced either from a Latin king, Aventinus or a son of Hercules and a Latin priestess Rhea, also called Aventinus. Servius's commentary on Aeneid vii.656 states:
- "The Aventine is a hill in the city of Rome. It is accepted that it derives its name from birds (aves) which, rising from the Tiber, nested there (as we read in the eighth book of a suitable home for the nests of ill-omened birds). This is because of a king of the Aboriginal Italians, Aventinus by name, who was both killed and buried there - just as the Alban king Aventinus was, he who was suceeded by Procas. Varro, however, states that amongst the Roman people, the Sabines accepted this mountain when it was offered them by Romulus, and called it the Aventine after the Aventus river in its area. It is therefore accepted that these different opinions came later, for in the beginning it was called Aventinus after either the birds or the Aboriginal King: from which it is accepted that the son of Hercules mentioned here took his name from that of the hill, not vice versa."[1]
[edit] History
[edit] Ancient and medieval
It was a strategic point in controlling trade on the River Tiber, and was fully fortified by 1000 AD.
[edit] Modern
During Fascism, many deputies of the opposition retired on this hill after the murder of Giacomo Matteotti, here ending - by the so-called "Aventine secession" - their presence at the Parliament and consequently their political activity.
[edit] Present day
The hill is now an elegant residential part of Rome with a wealth of architectural interest.
[edit] Popular Culture
Much of season two of HBO's series Rome takes place in the Aventine, regarding the efforts of Lucius Vorenus and legionary Titus Pullo to maintain order over the various gangs competing there for power.
