What is the Esquiline Hill?
The Esquiline Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, known in Latin as the Collis Esquilinus and in Italian as the Esquilino. Its southernmost cusp is the Oppian Hill.
Questions about Esquiline Hill
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where does the name of the Esquiline Hill come from?
The origin of the Esquiline Hill's name is debated among historians. One theory traces it to an abundance of Italian oaks that grew there, while another links it to exquilini, meaning outer-district residents, as opposed to the in-towners of the Capitolium, the Palatinum, and the Caelian.
Which Roman king expanded the Esquiline Hill?
According to the historian Livy, the settlement on the Esquiline Hill was expanded under Servius Tullius, Rome's sixth king, in the 6th century BC. Servius Tullius also moved his own residence to the hill to raise its standing.
What did Maecenas, Nero, and Trajan build on the Esquiline Hill?
Maecenas (70-8 BC) built the first Hellenistic-Persian style gardens in Rome on the Esquiline Hill, complete with terraces and libraries. Nero (37-68 AD) confiscated property at the Oppian spur to build his mile-long Golden House, and Trajan (53-117) later built a bath complex on the same ground.
What was discovered on the Esquiline Hill?
In 1781, the first known copy of the Discobolus of Myron, a marble statue of a discus thrower, was found on the Villa Palombara, property of the Massimo family, on the Esquiline Hill. The Esquiline Treasure, also unearthed there, is now held by the British Museum.
Why is a hamlet in Honduras named after the Esquiline Hill?
A small hamlet in Honduras, El Esquilinchuche, is named directly after the Esquiline Hill in Rome.