Last time I spoke of the Republican “Servian” Walls of Rome, today we will look at how those walls became redundant following the hard-fought victory Rome eventually won over Carthage in the Punic Wars.

This victory was fundamental to the growth of the city and its territories. Beneath the grandeur of Imperial structures, glimpses of Republican structures often lurk.

Such as the temples of Spes and Janus both first built during the First Punic War and now embedded in the walls of the church of San Nicola in Carcere.

The triumph over Hannibal would also see a growth in the urban area, and a move of the river port from the Forum Boarium to Testaccio.

Apologies for the delay in this episode, I can only blame the enervating and interminable heat of a Roman summer which this year is unusual, even for Rome. The next episode will appear shortly and I’ll be back on schedule!

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