A Podcast about Rome. Part 5: Hunting Hannibal, traces of the Punic Wars in Rome.

Last time I spoke of the Republican “Servian” Walls of Rome, today we will look at how those walls became redundant following the hard-fought victory Rome eventually won over Carthage in the Punic Wars.

Columns of the Temple of Spes at San Nicola in Carcere. July 2022.

This victory was fundamental to the growth of the city and its territories. Beneath the grandeur of Imperial structures, glimpses of Republican structures often lurk.

via Luigi Petroselli. From left to right: the Fascist-era Anagrafe; San Nicola in Carcere; Theatre of Marcellus. July 2022.

Such as the temples of Spes and Janus both first built during the First Punic War and now embedded in the walls of the church of San Nicola in Carcere.

Columns of the Temple of Janus on the other side of the church. July 2022.

The triumph over Hannibal would also see a growth in the urban area, and a move of the river port from the Forum Boarium to Testaccio.

The Tiber from Ponte Testaccio. July 2022.

Remains of the “Emporium” at Testaccio

Apologies for the delay in this episode, I can only blame the enervating and interminable heat of a Roman summer which this year is unusual, even for Rome. The next episode will appear shortly and I’ll be back on schedule!