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6 - The Castra Nova and the Severan Transformation of Rome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2020

L. Bosman
Affiliation:
Universiteit van Amsterdam
I. P. Haynes
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
P. Liverani
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
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Summary

This chapter examines the impact of the Severan transformation of Rome in Caelian noting its implications for Constatine's later choice of this site for his Lateran Basilica.Septimius Severus dramatically increased the presence of soldiers in Rome and his reign is associated with several major military building projects.The best documented of these is the construction of the Castra Nova for his horse guards (equites singulares), a project that fundamentally reshaped the Caelian. Extensive elements of the fort survive beneath the Basilica of St John Lateran.This chapter explores the evidence for the building and subsequent use of the fort, placing the site in its broader topographical context.Following Constantine's victory at the battle of the Milvian Bridge the equites singulares were destroyed/disbanded and the Castra Nova site was used for the construction of the Lateran Basilica.The paper raises questions about the degree to which the history of the site's use may have impacted on the location and appearence of Constantine's church.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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