Argiletum

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Via Cavour, 143, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

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N41° 53' 47.04" E12° 29' 41.64"   (41.8964, 12.4949) Start navigation »

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The Argiletum (Italian: Argileto) was the main route approaching the Forum Romanum from the northeast in the ancient city of Rome. It connected the Forum with the Subura district of the city. As it originally passed between Comitium and Basilica Pauli, the Argiletum was eventually absorbed by the construction of the imperial fora from the time of Julius Caesar onwards. Given this encroachment, the limits of the Argiletum were defined differently in various periods. By the time of Martial (died ca 103 CE) the Argiletum had become a seedy district filled with taverns and brothels.
Livy indicates that the temple of Ianus Geminus was located ad infimum Argiletum (Liv. 1.19.1).
Varro claimed that the etymology of the term argiletum was connected with the name of a Greek scoundrel.

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