SUBURA
the valley between the southern end of the Viminal and the
western end of the Esquiline, or Oppius, which was connected with the
forum by the
ARGILETUM (q.v.), and continued eastward between the
Oppius and the Cispius by the
CLIVUS SUBURANUS (q.v.), ending at the
Porta Esquilina. This district is now traversed by the Via Cavour and
the Via dello Statuto. Another depression extended from the Subura
northward between the Viminal and the Quirinal, and a third north-east
between the Cispius and the Viminal that was marked by the vicus
Patricius. The beginning of the Subura was called primae fauces
(
Mart. ii. 17. I) and was perhaps situated near the
PRAEFECTURA
URBANA (q.v.)
cruenta pendent qua flagella tortorum (so HJ 329,
n. 15).
Two ancient theories of the derivation of Subura must be rejected
(Varro,
LL v. 48:
Suburam Iunius scribit ab eo quod fuerit sub antiqua
urbe; Comm. Cruq. Hor. Epod. 5. 58:
a suburendo quod in ea regione
Romae aliquando subustionibus paludeta siccata sunt); a third connected it with pagus Succusanus, Suc(c)usa (Varro, loc. cit.; Fest. 302,
309;
Quint. i. 7. 29). The Sucusa was on the Caelian, but it is probable
that Subura was a corrupt form of the same word, which for some reason
had been transferred, and in historical times was given to this valley
and used as an adjective in ' regio Suburana' (see SUCUSA and
REGIONES
QUATTUOR, and literature there cited). Subura is found on a fragment of
the Marble Plan (8), in late literature (Sid. Apollin. Carm. 23. 236; Prud.
Peristeph. xi. 45), and continued in use during the Middle Ages in the
names of several churches situated between the Tor di Conti and S. Pietro
in Vincoli (Arm. 201, 203, 206, 219-223; HJ 332; HCh 166, 193, 205,
207, 420, 454, 459). Cf. also S. Agata dei Goti (by Hulsen and others),
Rome 1924, 7-9. S. Lucia in Orfea or in Silice is also called in capite
Suburae (HCh 306, 595).
References to the character of this district are frequent in Latin
literature and inscriptions. It was fervens (
Iuv. xi. 51, and schol.
frequentissima regio), clamosa (
Mart. xii. 18. 2), dirty and wet (ib. v. 22.
5-9), a resort of harlots (Pers. 5. 32;
Mart. ii. 17;
vi. 66. 1-2;
xi. 61. 3;
78. ii ; Priap. 40. I), of dealers in provisions and delicacies (
Iuv. xi. 141;
Mart. vii. 31;
x. 94. 5-6) and finery (
Mart. ix. 37), and of tradesmen of
various sorts (praeco,
CIL vi. 1953; crepidarius, ib. 9284; ferrarius, 9399;
lanarius, 9491; inpilarius, 33862; lintearius, 9526). That there were also
dwellings of more distinguished persons is shown by the fact that Caesar
once lived here (Suet. Caes. 46) and L. Arruntius Stella, consul in 101 A.D.
(
Mart. xii. 3. 9; cf. xii. 21. 5). Of a probable late division into Subura
maior and Subura minor, to be inferred from the reading of one inscription
(
CIL vi. 9526:
Sebura maiore ad ninfas), nothing further is known. See
also Jord. i. I. 185-186; HJ 330-332. For rulers and scribes of the
Jewish synagogue of the Subura (
ἄρχων; γραμματεὺς Σιβουπησίων),
see CIG 6447;
Mitt. 1886, 56;
NS 1920, 147-151, 154;
BC 1922, 208-212.
