UF 
THE REPUBLICAN ATRIUM VEST. 
Although not connected directly with the main subject under discussion, 
the imperial Atrium Vestz, the lack of definiteness in the use, among ancient 
and modern writers alike, of the term Atrium Vestz has led me to discuss 
briefly the earlier use of the name and its gradual restriction to that build- 
ing to which it is commonly applied. 
The Original Atrium Veste: During the earlier period of its existence 
there were no distinct buildings inside the precinct of Vesta,’ but the various 
parts, united more or less closely among themselves, formed a single complex 
structure.” In this group of buildings were included the king’s house proper 
on the north and the Domus Vestalium, or private rooms of the Vestals, on 
the south, the small temple, or more properly shrine, of Vesta in the center, 
and the group of rooms on the east, known later as the Domus publica; along 
the Nova Via at the foot of the Palatine lay the /ucus Veste.* The center of 
this group of buildings was the open court in which stood, as in the private 
house, the shrine of Vesta. This court was in form and orientation a templum, 
which at an early period was probably inaugurated, though later this was not 
feasible, owing to the nature of the cult of which the temple was the center. 
The walls on the north and on the south are in part preserved. On the west 
it was probably bounded by the outer wall of the precinct. Towards the 
east, that is, along the front of the term plum,’ the line bounding it was retained, 
even after the change in orientation of the surrounding buildings, in a raised 
edge, or curbing,® in the pavement, which crossed the area diagonally in 
1 This is called by the Italians Jocus Veste. Cf. Servius, ad Aen., vil, 153: Templum Veste non 
Maes, Vesta e Vestali, 157 et al. Marucchi, fuit augurio consecratum ne illuc conveniret 
Le Forum Romain, 160 et al. Asa technical senatus ubi erant virgines. The templum 
designation for the precinct, howgver, the here is not the edés but the area, or court 
name is not found in ancient writers and just mentioned. The e@des, because of its 
possibly had its origin in a mistranslation form, could not be inaugurated, and from 
of Ovid, Trist., 11, 1, 29: Hie locus est its size and arrangement would have been, 
Vesta, where Veste is predicative and does in any case, impracticable as a meeting- 
not depend on /ocus. place for the Senate. Into this court, in 
* The road which now divides the temple from the which there was, as is shown on coins, an 
later Regia is not original. altar, Scevola fled for refuge in 82 B. C. 
3 Cic., de Divin., 1, 45. (Cic., de Nat. Deorum, 1, 32, 80. Livy, 
There are, however, in the rear of the temple Epit., txxxvi et al.) It is possible that the 
traces of a row of. rooms, which may have sacrificial strata found at the southwest of 
formed the western line of the templum, the temple (Not. d. Scavi, 1900, 172) may be 
though the remains which are at present in some way connected with the exau guratio 
visible are too scanty to allow of any certain of this templum. 
conclusion concerning them. Plan A, Z 6 Plan A, Jy. 
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