Nuovi dati per una rilettura del Tabularium. La scala della Substructio

Abstract

From Tacitus we know the events that led, in 69 AD., four generals of the Roman armies located in various provinces of the Empire, on the throne of
the Roman Empire. For eight months Vitellius was emperor, elected by the legions that were positioned in the Rhine area. In the fights between the followers
of Vitellius and those of Sabinus and his brother Vespasian, very famous monuments of the City were destroyed, such as the temple of Capitoline
Jupiter and the Tabularium, which was the Public Archive of Rome with all tabulae also relating to possessions in all parts of the Empire. In addition to
the recovery of the documents from the Archive, Vespasian took care of the reconstruction of the destroyed monuments and also the Tabularium was affected
by in-depth restorations. Among the areas that were still being reconstructed at the death of the emperor, there was a very long staircase that connected
the Forum with the upper areas of the Tabularium. This staircase was very well looked after from both an architectural and engineering point of
view, but during the restoration phase, passed the kingdom to Domitian after the death of Vespasian, the construction site that was in charge of the restoration
was ordered to stop the works. The stairs are only finished for a third of the total steps while all the others are left rough with the blocks still
bearing the signs of the travertine’s quarry, the material of the steps. Furthermore, the entrance from the Forum square was also completely closed by the
construction of a temple by Domitian in honor of the Divus Vespasianus. This action was ordered directly by Domitian who, remembering his problems
in the Capitol when he was a child, knew well the topography of the Tabularium which instead Vitellius’ soldiers had not been able to defend.
As a result, when Domitian had power he closed these stairs from Tacitus called neglected streets (neglectae), and therefore little-known passages.