1 Earliest Rome

Tacitus, Annals XII.23—4
4.8 The pomerium
The emperor also extended the pomerium, according to the ancient custom
by which those who have enlarged the empire are also allowed to expand the boundaries
of the city. 1
But, apart from Lucius Sulla and the deified Augustus, 2
Roman generals had
not exercised this right, even after the conquest of great nations. (24) Various different
stories are told about the vanity or the renown of our kings in this matter. But I think
that the original foundation and the plan of the pomerium established by Romulus is a
reasonable subject of enquiry. The furrow to mark out the town was starred from the
Forum Boarium (where we see the bronze statue of a bull), 3
because that type of animal is
yoked to the plough. It was drawn so as to include the Great Altar of Hercules; and from
that point boundary stones were set at regular intervals along the foot of the Palatine hill
up to the altar of Consus, then to the old meeting place of the curiae, then to the shrine
of the Lares and after that to the Roman Forum.'' The Forum and the Capitol were added
to the city, It was believed, not by Romulus but by Titus Tatius. 5
Later the pomerium was
extended with the growth of Rome's fortunes. The boundary, as it was then set by
Claudius, is easy to recognize and is recorded in public documents. 6
1. Note the direct connection between the religious traditions of the city and Roman polit­
ical and military success. Claudius probably justified his action by his addition of the
province of Britain to the empire — although there was some uncertainty about precisely
how the 'ancient custom' Tacitus refers to was to be interpreted (Seneca, On the Shortness
ofUfeli.S; Griffin (1976) 401-6).
2. On the supposed Augustan extension, see Vol. 1, 178 n.36.
3. A famous landmark in the Forum Boarium (Cattle Market) — a statue plundered from
the Greek island of Aegina.
4. Tacitus suggests a line centred on the Palatine hill: the Great Altar of Hercules (Ara
Maxima) and the altar of Consus to the south; the shrine of the Lares and the meeting
place of the curiae (subdivisions of the early Roman tribes) almost certainly to the north
- though the exact sites are unknown. We do not know if this is correct. For an attack
on the idea of a 'Palatine pomerium', see Magdelain (1976), with earlier bibliography.
5- The Sabine king who, according to legend, shared power with Romulus.
6. Either archives or inscriptions, such as 4.8c below. The Claudian extension included the
Aventine hill and part of the Campus Martius (Field of Mars) within the pomerium.
4.8c Boundary stones of Claudius' 'pomerium
A few of the well over 100 boundary stones (cippi) set up by Claudius to mark
his extension of the pomerium still survive. Although such cippi had no doubt
played some part in defining the course of the pomerium in earlier periods, it
would be wrong to imagine that the line was always so clearly demarcated. It
was a reflection of Claudius' self-aggrandizement (and perhaps also his anti­
quarian interests) that he chose to display the route of his pomerial extension
so prominently.
See further: Vol. 1, 177-8; A. E. Gordon (1958-65) 1.95-6, nos. 95-7;
(1983) 118, no. 43*.
95