The Esquiline is the largest and highest of Roma's seven hills. The Sabines lived here quite early, as well as on the Quirinal and Capitoline Hills. There are cemetaries of inhumed warriors that were Sabines.
With the construction of the Cloaca Maxima, the great system of sewers, under the Etruscan Dynasty of the Tarquins, the swampy valley between the Esquiline and the Palatine Hill was drained and reclaimed, and became a meeting place. You know it as the Forum.

Cloaca Maxima drain site



One of the 15 gateways of the Servian Walls, the Esquilina gives access to the Via Casilina and the Via Tiburtina here. When the Servian Wall was built in 378 BC, the old rampart which protected both the Esquiline and the Viminal Hill was also refaced and its ditch enlarged.

The eastern side, which shall visit first, has these magnificent villas. This one belonged to Maecenas, famous patron of the arts, friend of Augustus.



Horace, Propertius, and Virgil were his proteges. His villa has a wonderful auditorium for readings and performances, and a nympheum in a summerhouse with lovely fountains.
Notice the wall frescoes with garden scenes and the procession with Dionysus being propped upright by a satyr.


The Baths of Titus here are the successors to Nero's private Baths, remodeled for public use.
More of Nero's Golden house is buried here, and much art that Nero had stolen from Greece was removed from the Domus Aurea is on display in places like the Temple of Peace.





The Baths of Trajan were built in 109 AD. They were the first to be built on a massive scale of huge brick structures with vaulted ceilings, later used in the Baths of Diocletian and Caracalla. They also marked a new point in the design of thermal baths because of their disposition with a central complex of buildings and an enclosure around the perimeter, with the addition of gardens and exedra -(open meeting places). There are 13 Rooms: Entrance, Natatio, Frigidarium, Tepidarium, Caldarium, Palaestra Quadrata, Palaestra Rotunda, Apodyterium A, Nymphaeum, Apodyterium B, Hortus, Bibliotecha, Theatrum.

It is the Aquaduct Trajana which serves the Baths of Trajan as well as the area west of the Tiber. It crosses the Janiculum, to the west of Roma.

The western slopes overlooking the Forum house the crowded, noisy slums of the Suburra. This has always been a poor area. The Esquiline was badly damaged in the great fire during Nero's reign.
The poet Martial called this area clamosa, meaning clamorous. On the other hand, Juvenal called it fervens, meaning 'bubbling over with life'. There are many craftsmen and workers all working away. It is full of shops and guilds.
Martial mentions women of bad reputation here in the Suburra, including a woman barber.
Yet Julius Caesar lived here, and that's why we are here, to see his dwelling.




But Be Warned, hang on to your money at all times or you'll lose it and don't wander off from the tour please. We really do wish to finish the tour with all of you, and there are the gangs
about.

Let's move on quickly to the Viminal Hill...