ELEPHAS HERBARIUS
mentioned in Reg. in
Region VIII, and in mediaeval
documents without the adjective (Mir. 29; Eins. 9; Graphia ap. lord.
ii. 532; Reg. Sublac. 138 ad a. 1003;
LPD i. 490, 515, n. 13;
ii. 75).
The name survived in that of the mediaeval church of S. Abbacyri et
Archangeli ad Alafantum (Arm. 563-4; HCh 162-3, 290; cf. 338 (
templum
maius (that of Jupiter) quod respicit super Alafantum), and the district is
mentioned in a bull of Anacletus II (1130-8); cf.
Jord. ii. 667. The
monument probably stood a little east of the forum Holitorium, near
the present church of S. Galla. It was probably a statue, but the meaning
of herbarius is uncertain. It has been interpreted as 'tame' (Hulsen
in
RE v. 2325), as referring to a resort of the herbarii meaning dealers
in herbs (
Jord. i. 2. 476 ; Arm. loc. cit.), and (more probably) as indicating
that the beast was represented eating grass (Platner,
CP 1917, 194, who
cites as parallels
CIL vi. 10209;
NS 1899, 149;
BC 1924, 188-196;
1925,
65; Eranos, 1925, 129;
RAP iv. 305-385).
