The Arch of Constantine seen from the Colosseum. The foundation of the Meta Sudans is visible in the brown circular region just in front of the arch.

The Meta Sudans (Latin: "sweating meta") was a large monumental conical fountain in ancient Rome. The Arch of Constantine This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... The Arch of Constantine This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The worlds highest fountain: King Fahds Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese, Rome) A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5...

The Meta Sudans was built some time between 89 and 96 under the Flavian emperors, a few years after the completion of the nearby Colosseum. It was built between the Colosseum and the Temple of Venus and Roma, close to the later Arch of Constantine, at the juncture of four regions of ancient Rome: regions I, III, IV, X (and perhaps II). This article is about the year 89. ... For other uses, see number 96. ... The Flavian dynasty was a series of three Roman Emperors who ruled from 69, the Year of the Four Emperors, to 96, when the last member was assassinated. ... The Colosseum by night: exterior view of the best-preserved section. ... The Temple apsis by night. ... The Arch of Constantine seen from the Colosseum The arch seen from Via Triumphalis Detail of the arch (southern side, left) The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. ... Augustus in 7 B.C. administratively divided Rome into 14 regions (Latin, regiones). ...

A meta was a tall conical object in a Roman circus that stood at either end of the central spina, around which racing chariots would turn. The Meta Sudans had the same shape, and also functioned as a similar kind of turning point, in that it marked the spot where a Roman triumphal procession would turn left from the via Triumphalis along the east side of the Palatine onto the via Sacra and into the Forum Romanum itself. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Circus Maximus (disambiguation). ... The site of Spina, the Etruscan port city on the Adriatic, at the ancient mouth of the Po south of the lagoon where Venice would one day rise, was lost until modern times, when drainage schemes in the delta of the Po in 1922 first officially revealed a necropolis of... Hittite chariot (drawing of an Egyptian relief) Approximate historical map of the spread of the chariot, 2000–500 BC. A chariot is a two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle. ... A Roman Triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly honour the military commander (dux) of a notably successful foreign war or campaign and to display the glories of Roman victory. ... 17th century aviaries on the hill, built by Rainaldi for Odoardo Cardinal Farnese: once wirework cages surmounted them. ... The Via Sacra (Latin: Sacred Road) is the main street of ancient Rome, leading from the top of the Capitoline Hill, through some of the most important religious sites of the Forum (where it is the widest street), to the Colosseum. ... The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) was a central area of ancient Rome in which commerce, business, trading and the administration of justice took place. ...

The Meta Sudans was built of a brick and concrete core, faced with marble. It seems to have "sweated" the water (sudans means "sweating"), rather than jetting it out the top. This may mean that it oozed out the top, or perhaps that water came from holes in its side. The monument is estimated to have stood up to 17m high; until the 20th century, its concrete core was still over 9m high. It had a base pool 16m wide and 1.4m deep. An old brick wall in English bond laid with alternating courses of headers and A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction and sized to be layed with one hand using mortar. ... Concrete being poured, raked and vibrated into place in residential construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Venus de Milo, front. ...

The Meta Sudans before the Colosseum in 1858

The fountain was obviously damaged in the Middle Ages because it already appears as a ruin in early views of the Colosseum. Photos from the end of the 19th century show a conical heap of bricks next to the Arch of Constantine. The ruins of Meta Sudans survived until the 20th century. In 1936, Mussolini had its remains demolished and paved over to make room for the new traffic circle around the Colosseum. A commemorative plaque was set in the road. Although the above-ground structure is gone, its foundations were later re-excavated, revealing the extensive substructure. After another excavation in 1997-98 the traffic circle was closed and the area became a pedestrian district. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ...

References

• Coarelli, Filippo, Guida Archeologica di Roma, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, 1989, ISBN 88-04-11896-2.
• Claridge, Amanda, Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide, Oxford University Press, New York, 1998, ISBN 0-19-288003-9.

External links

• Meta Sudans article on LacusCurtius web site.
• Conjectured reconstruction of the Meta Sudans