Resurveying the Religious Topography of Tiber Island
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RESURVEYING THE RELIGIOUS TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TIBER ISLAND By WILLIAM NOLAN BRUCE A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2004 This thesis is dedicated to Mom, Dad, Clay, William G. & Anna Bevis, and ID & Annie- Mell Bruce. TABLE OF CONTENTS page LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................v ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 The Island and Its Importance ......................................................................................1 Previous Work ..............................................................................................................2 CHAPTER 1 GENERAL BACKGROUND......................................................................................6 Legend of the Island's Origin........................................................................................6 Legend of Aesculapius' Arrival from Epidauros ..........................................................9 General information on Aesculapius and his Cult......................................................12 Epidauros as a Model for the Tiber Island and Other Asclepiea................................13 Temple.................................................................................................................13 Abaton .................................................................................................................15 Tholos..................................................................................................................18 Evidence of the island sanctuary .........................................................................19 2 TOPOGRAPHY, PT. I ...............................................................................................25 Access Structures........................................................................................................25 Pons Fabricius ....................................................................................................25 Pons Cestius.........................................................................................................31 Embankments and Ancient Wall Decoration .............................................................34 The Central and Southern Sectors of the Island .........................................................36 The Square of St. Bartholomew and the Tiber Island Obelisk............................36 Basilica of St. Bartholomew................................................................................42 Architrave............................................................................................................52 The Northern Section of the Island.............................................................................54 Church of St. John Calybite.................................................................................54 Fatebenefratelli Hospital .....................................................................................60 iv 3 TOPOGRAPHY, PT. II: STRUCTURES OF UNCERTAIN LOCATION...............83 Faunus.........................................................................................................................83 Veiovis........................................................................................................................88 Semo Sancus...............................................................................................................95 Bellona........................................................................................................................98 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................100 APPENDIX A SURVEY OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S COLUMNS .............................................101 B FOUR UNPUBLISHED FRAGMENTARY INSCRIPTIONS ...............................102 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................106 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...........................................................................................110 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 1 The island’s aspect today. ..........................................................................................5 2 The island during the nineteenth century, including the ‘isoletta,’ perhaps another alluvial formation. 1893 Lanciani. .............................................................................5 3 The healing god, Aesculapius, with his traditional cloak and staff..........................22 4 Map of Epidauros sanctuary including temple, abaton, and tholos .........................22 5 Miracle cure inscriptions from the Tiber Island. IG XIV 966. ................................23 6 Terracotta antefix found in the Tiber nearby the island. ..........................................23 7 Etruscan temple design, as defined by Vitruvius. ....................................................24 8 Pons Fabricius..........................................................................................................69 9 Foot of the Pons Fabricius in the basement of the bar, L’isola Antica. ...................69 10 Pons Fabricius dedicatory inscription. .....................................................................70 11 Original side arch, now covered by the massive embankment wall. .......................70 12 Fabricius herm with sidelong groove.......................................................................71 13 G.G. Belli monument. ..............................................................................................71 14 Later fashioned groove of the Belli herm.................................................................71 15 Pons Cestius.............................................................................................................72 16 Pons Graziani...........................................................................................................72 17 Original Graziani inscription, as depicted by Piranesi.............................................73 18 North embankment...................................................................................................73 19 South embankment...................................................................................................74 v 20 Ship monument. .......................................................................................................74 21 Reconstruction of ship monument............................................................................75 22 Fanciful 1561 map of Rome, depicting the Tiber Island as a giant floating ship with an obelisk mast.................................................................................................75 23 Obelisk fragments, as portrayed by Piranesi. Iversen, 1968. ...................................76 24 Piazza di San Bartolomeo, including the so-called colonna infame, or ‘column of infamy.’ Vasi (1747-1762).......................................................................................76 25 Column in the Basilica di San Bartolomeo. .............................................................77 26 Basilica di San Bartolomeo. .....................................................................................78 27 Floorplan of Basilica di San Bartolomeo. Richiello 2001, p.104. ...........................78 28 Medieval well-head..................................................................................................79 29 Architrave.................................................................................................................80 30 Church of St. John Calybite. ....................................................................................80 31 Interior of the church of St. John Calybite. ..............................................................80 32 Floorplan of the church of St. John Calybite. ..........................................................81 33 Fatebenefratelli Hospital..........................................................................................81 34 Courtyard excavation...............................................................................................81 35 Remains of a temple to Jupiter and a church of St. John the Baptist. ......................82 36 Jupiter Jurarius inscription. CIL i² 990 = vi.379. .....................................................82 37 Servilius inscription. CIL 40896a.............................................................................82 vi Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts RESURVEYING THE RELIGIOUS TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TIBER ISLAND By William Nolan Bruce May 2004 Chair: Robert Wagman Major Department: Classics This project brings together a survey of various architectural and historical elements of the Tiber Island based on the most up-to-date research available on the site. This body of research consists of a) a thorough treatment of the scant ancient sources, which refer to the island, b) a selection of archaeological evidence over the past several centuries,