MACELLUM
the first of the three macella known to us in Rome, situated
just north of the forum. We are told that this market was burned in
210 B.C. (Liv. xxvii. II) and rebuilt, but in 179 B.C. M. Fulvius Nobilior
seems to have erected a new structure on the north-east side of the basilica
Aemilia (which was built by himself and his colleague in the censorship),
which absorbed the forum piscarium, the forum cuppedinis, and other
special markets that occupied this site (Varro,
LL v. 146-147 ; Fest. 238;
Liv. xl. 51). It probably consisted of a central building, which in Varro's
time was a tholos in shape, surrounded with shops (Liv. loc. cit.; Varro
ap. Non. 448; Altm. 73, 74). The name, like the Greek JadeXXov (Varro,
LL. v. 146), is thought to be Semitic in origin (Walde, s.v.), but was
variously explained by the Romans (Varro, loc. cit.; Fest. 125; Donat.
ad Ter. Eun. 256). The entrance to the market-house was called fauces
macelli (Cic.
Verr. iii. 145; pro Quinct. 25), and a short street, the
Corneta (Varro,
LL v. 152), led from it to the Sacra via. This market is
not mentioned after the beginning of the empire, and its business was
probably transferred to the other macella. In any case it must have
been removed to make room for the later imperial fora (Jord. i. I. 432-436).
