HORTI LUCULL(I)ANI
the earliest gardens on the Pincian, laid out by L.
Licinius Lucullus about 60 B.C. (Tac. Ann. xi. I). In 46 A.D. they belonged
to Valerius Asiaticus and were called horti Asiatici (Cass.
Dio lx. 27. 3).
Messalina coveted them, forced Valerius to commit suicide, and seized
the gardens, and was herself killed in them (Cass. Dio loc. cit.; Tac. Ann.
xi. I, 32, 37). Thereafter they were regarded as among the richest of
the imperial properties (Plut. Luc. 39). They were situated immediately
above the point where the aqua Virgo emerged from its underground
passage through the hill (Frontin. de aq. i. 22), close to the junction of the
present Vie due Macelli and Capo le Case. Their eastern boundary
was probably the ancient road that crossed the Pincian from the porta
Salutaris, corresponding in general with the via Porta Pinciana; their
western boundary was on the slope of the hill above the Due Macelli;
while their extent towards the north is unknown. From remarks of
ancient writers it is known that these horti were very beautiful, and one
of its halls was apparently known as Apollo (Plut. Luc. 41). Few traces
of these buildings have been found (
BC 1891, 153-155;
LS ii. 64;
NA
1901, 16 Aug.; M16.1899, 118-119; Homo, Aurelien 241; see
HORTI
ACILIORUM.
