One of the seven hills of Rome | |
Latin name | Collis Esquilinus |
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Italian name | Esquilino |
Rione | Esquilino |
Buildings | Domus Aurea, baths of Trajan, Nymphaeum misattributed to Minerva Medica |
Ancient Roman religion | Temple of Minerva Medica (non-extant) |
Roman sculptures | Discobolus |
The Esquiline Hill (/ˈɛskwᵻlaɪn/; Latin: Collis Esquilinus; Italian: Esquilino [eskwiˈliːno]) is one of the celebrated Seven Hills of Rome. Its southern-most cusp is the Oppius (Oppian Hill).
The origin of the name Esquilino is still under much debate. One view is that the Hill was named after the abundance of Italian oaks, aesculi, that resided there. Another view is that, during Rome's infancy, the Capitolium, the Palatinum, and the northern fringes of the Caelian were the most-populated areas of the city, whose inhabitants were considered inquilini, in-towners; those who inhabited the external regions – Aurelian, Oppius, Cispius, Fagutal – were considered exquilini, suburbanites.
The Esquiline Hill includes three prominent spurs, which are sometimes called "hills" as well:
Rising above the valley in which was later built the Colosseum, the Esquiline was a fashionable residential district.
According to Livy, the settlement on the Esquiline was expanded during the reign of Servius Tullius, Rome's sixth king, in the 6th century BC. The king also moved his residence to the Hill, in order to increase its respectability.