275
In the revolution of the twelfth century, which chap.gave a new existence and era to Rome , we may „^***'_observe the real and important events that mark- The capi-ed or confirmed her political independence. J. toLThe Capitoline hill , one of her seven eminences,”is about four hundred yards in length, and twohundred in breadth. A flight of an hundredsteps led to the summit of the Tarpeian rock;and far steeper was the ascent before the decli-vities had been smoothed, and the precipices fill-ed by the ruins of fallen edifices. From theearliest ages, the Capitol had been used as atemple in peace, a fortress in war: after the lossof the city, it maintained a siege against the vic-torious Gauls , and the sanctuary of empire wasoccupied, assaulted, and burnt, in the civil warsof Vitellius and Vespasian . 0 The temples ofJupiter and his kindred deities had crumbledinto dust; their place was supplied by monas-teries and houses; and the solid walls, the longand shelving porticoes, were decayed or ruinedby the lapse of time. It was the first act of theRomans, an act of freedom, to restore the
Quin etiam titulos urbis renovare vetnstos;
Nomineplebeiosererncre nomen eqnestre,
Jura tribunorum, sanctum reparare senatum,
Et senio tessas mutasque reponere leges.
Lapsa ruinosis, etadhuc penilentia murisReddere primaevo Capitolia prisca niton.
Bui of these reformations, some were no more than ideas, others nomore than words.
n After many disputes among the antiquaries of Rome , it seems de-termined, that the summit of the Capitoline hill next the river is strict-ly the Mons Tarpius, the Arx; and that on the other summit, thechurch and convent of Araceli, the barefoot friars of St. Francis, oc-cupy the temple of Jupiter (Nardini, Roma Antica, 1. v, c. 11-16).
• Tacit. Hist, iii, 69, 70.