Seven Hills of Rome – Viminal Hill

The Viminal Hill (Collis Viminalis) was one of the smallest of the Seven Hills of Rome but played a crucial role in defending the ancient city.

Located in the northeast of the ancient city, the Viminal Hill is sandwiched between the Quirinal Hill and the Cispian’ spur’ of the Esquiline Hill.

West of the Viminal Hill is the Quirinal Hill. It basically wraps around part of the Viminal Hill, giving both hills the semblance of a ‘claw’ pointing southwest, with the Quirinal being the much more significant outer ‘claw’.

Southwest of the hill is the center of Rome, with the Temple of Peace and the Forum of Augustus being the two buildings closest to it.

South of the hill, one would see the Temple of Venus and Roma and the Colosseum. The Oppian’ spur’ of the Esquiline Hill would also be seen, with the Baths of Titus and Baths of Trajan sitting atop.

Southeast and east of the hill were the Cispian’ spur’ and the wider Esquiline Hill region. This is where one would spot many of the gardens in the ancient city and a few of the aqueducts that brought water into Rome. You would also find a large portion of the Servian Agger, one of the city’s earliest defensive fortifications.

North of the hill, one would find part of the Quirinal Hill, the Porta Collina, Porta Nomentana, Porta Salaria, and Porta Pinciana.

The Porta Pinciana and Porta Salaria were located on the Pincian Hill, which is a hill but is not considered one of the Seven Hills of Rome.

The Gardens of Sallust (Horti Sallustiani) was also located north of the Viminal Hill.

As for the Viminal Hill itself, there are a few significant locations to note.

The most recognizable is the Baths of Diocletian (Thermae Diocletianae), the largest bathhouse in the Roman world.

Other things located on the Viminal Hill include a significant portion of the Servian Agger, the Porta Viminalis, the Campus Cohortium Praetoriarum (an open area used by the Praetorian Guard for training drills, etc.), and the Castra Praetoria (the Praetorian barracks/camp). There was also a gate next to the Castra Praetoria in the Aurelian Wall that was unknown by name.

The Viminal Hill was one of the hills incorporated into the city of Rome by King Servius Tullius early in the sixth century BC. Tullius took up residence on the nearby Esquiline Hill to encourage people to move out of the crowded city center and live in Rome’s sparsely populated outer areas.

As noted by Livy in his book, The History of Rome, Book I, XLIV.III:

“To contain that population, it was obvious that the City would have to be enlarged. He added to it the two hills —the Quirinal and the Viminal —and then made a further addition by including the Esquiline, and to give it more importance, he lived there himself.”

However, there is some slight conjecture in the ancient sources, with Dionysius of Halicarnassus noting that Servius Tullius only added the Viminal and Esquiline Hills to the city of Rome. His version of events suggests that the Quirinal Hill was already part of Rome when he came to power.

In his works, Roman Antiquities, Book IV, XIII.I, Dionysius writes that Servius adds the Viminal and Esquiline Hills ‘to the other five’:

“Immediately upon receiving the sovereignty, he divided the public lands among those of the Romans who served others for hire. Next, he caused both the laws relating to private contracts and those concerning torts to be ratified by the curiae; these laws were about fifty in number, of which I need not make any mention at present. He also added two hills to the city, those called the Viminal and the Esquiline,​ each of which has the size of a fairly large city. These he divided among such of the Romans as had no homes of their own so that they might build houses there, and he himself fixed his habitation there, in the best part of the Esquiline Hill.​This king was the last who enlarged the circuit of the city by adding these two hills to the other five.”

There were other reasons for Tullius to add these hills to the dominion of Rome. This area was prone to attacks from enemies as it was a large plain easily accessible from the east. By expanding the city to these hills, the Romans could at least have a presence in the area, with defensive fortifications added a short time later.

Strabo writes that Servius noticed weaknesses in the city’s defensive fortifications and proceeded to dig the trench that came to be known as the Servian Agger. It is also worth noting in his book, Geography, Book V, III.VII that Strabo appears in agreement with Dionysius of Halicarnassus about which hills Servius Tullius added to the city of Rome:

“The first founders walled the Capitolium and the Palatium and the Quirinal Hill, which last was so easy for outsiders to ascend that Titus Tatius took it at the first onset, making his attack at the time when he came to avenge the outrage of the seizure of the maidens.​ Again, Ancus Marcius took in Mt. Caelium and Mt. Aventine, and the plain between them, which were separated both from one another and from the parts that were already walled, but he did so only from necessity; for, in the first place, it was not a good thing to leave hills that were so well fortified by nature outside the walls for any who wished strongholds against the city, and, secondly, he was unable to fill out the whole circuit of hills as far as the Quirinal. Servius, however, detected the gap, for he filled it out by adding both the Esquiline Hill and the Viminal Hill. But these too are easy for outsiders to attack, and for this reason they dug a deep trench and took the earth to the inner side of the trench, and extended a mound about six stadia on the inner brow of the trench, and built thereon a wall with towers from the Colline Gate to the Esquiline. Below the center of the mound is a third gate,​bearing the same name as the Viminal Hill.”

The ancient sources provide little information about the Viminal Hill, likely because it is located between two important hills, the Quirinal Hill and the Esquiline Hill.

The Baths of Diocletian were built on the hill at the end of the third century and the start of the fourth century AD, just inside the Servian Agger.

The Castra Praetoria was built early in the first century AD outside the Servian Wall, meaning that it stood outside the ancient city. However, as time passed and the city grew the Castra Praetoria was eventually incorporated into the city and became part of the Aurelian Wall defensive fortification in the late third century AD.

The most prominent thing on Viminal Hill is the Termini railway station, which covers part of it and Esquiline Hill.

Located outside the station is part of the ancient Servian Wall. One will also find a depression in the land on the other side of the wall. This is the remnants of the Servian Agger. While the exact location is unknown, the ancient Porta Viminalis would have been located close to the remains of the Servian Wall.

The modern city still has ruins of the Baths of Diocletian and the Castra Praetoria. Other sites on the Viminal Hill include the Piazza della Repubblica and museums such as sections of the National Roman Museum. Both sites incorporate parts of the Baths of Diocletian, such is the size of the ancient Imperial bathhouse.

Sources:

The History of Rome – Livy (Perseus Digital Library)

Roman Antiquities – Dionysius of Halicarnassus (Thayer)

Geography – Strabo (Thayer)