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NAUMACHIA AUGUSTI

the artificial pond constructed by Augustus in 2 B.C. on the right bank of the Tiber, where he celebrated sham naval combats on a great scale in connection with the dedication of the temple of Mars Ultor (Veil. ii. 100; Mon. Anc. iv. 43-44; Suet. Aug. 43; Tac. Ann. xii. 56; Cass. Dio lxvi. 25; Euseb. ad a. Abr. 2014). It was 1800 Roman feet (536 metres) long and 1200 (357) wide (Mon. Anc. loc. cit.), and was supplied with water by the aqua Alsietina, built by Augustus for this purpose (Frontinus, de aq. i. I , 22). Around the naumachia was a grove, nemus Caesarum, laid out by Augustus (Tac. Ann. xiv. 15) in honour of Gaius and Lucius Caesar (Mon. Anc. loc. cit.; Suet. Aug. 43; Cass. Dio lxvi. 25; 1 CIL vi. 31566), and perhaps gardens (cf. Suet. Tib. 72). In the centre of the basin was an island (Cass. Dio lxvi. 25), and Pliny speaks twice (NH xvi. 190, 200) of a pons naumachiarius, restored by Tiberius after fire, which may have been built across the basin to serve as a support for some of the apparatus of the games. This naumachia was used by Nero (Cass. Dio lxii. 20; Suet. Nero 12 ?) and Titus (Cass. Dio lxvi. 25; Suet. Tit. 7), and is mentioned in 95 A.D. (Stat. Silv. iv. 4. 5), but fell into disuse later, for in the time of Alexander Severus only parts of it remained (Cass. Dio Iv. IO). For a possible restoration, see NAUMACHIA PHILIPPI.

This naumachia was previously located nearly opposite the theatre of Pompeius, between the villa Lante and the Lungara, just north of the villa Corsini (HJ 640-642, 652-656; cf. LA 343; BC 1914 393); but the recent discovery of the specus of the AQUA ALSIETINA (q.v.) has necessitated a change of view, and the earlier theory must probably be accepted, according to which it lay near S. Cosimato (Mem. Am. Acad. vi. 141-148).

1 Kornemann, Mausoleum des Augustus, 4, thinks that the μνημεῖον mentioned here is to be identified with theμνῆμα Γαιοῦ καὶ Λουκίου in which Julia Domna was placed; but see MAUSOLEUM AUGUSTI, SEP. C. ET L. CAESARIS.

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