Description

Octavian rebuilt the former Portico of Metellus with the spoils from the victory over the Dalmatians in 33 BCE (D.C. 49, 43, 8). Situated in the southern part of the Campus Martius [see BIBOCT-AR], it enclosed the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina (Ov. trist. 3, 1, 59-74; Vell. 1, 11, 3; Plin. nat. 36, 42; for the statuary present in the temple of Juno, see also Plin. nat. 36, 24; Plin. nat. 36, 35) and was decorated with equestrian statues from Macedonia (Vell. 1, 11, 3).

The new complex was dedicated in 23 BCE and given the name of Augustus’ sister Octavia, who died in 11 BCE (terminus ante quem for the construction of the library; Svet. Aug. 29, 4; D.C. 49, 43, 8). In turn, Octavia had dedicated the library built inside the portico to the memory of her son Marcellus, who died in 23 BC (terminus post quem for dating the library; Plut. Marc. 30, 6 = 30, 11 Ziegler; Liv. perioch. 140).^[1] It is not certain if Augustus had the portico and library built in his sister’s name (Svet. Aug. 29, 4 only makes reference to the portico; D.C. 49, 43, 8) or if Octavia had them built herself (Ov. ars. 1, 69-70 seems to make reference to the library; Plut. Marc. 30, 6 = 30, 11 Ziegler refers to the library; Fest., p. 188 Lindsay and Liv. perioch. 140 refer to the portico). The most plausible hypothesis is that Augustus funded the project (Svet. Aug. 29, 4; D.C. 49, 43, 8) and that Octavia brought it to completion, afterwards dedicating the library to the memory of her son (Plut. Marc. 30, 6 = 30, 11 Ziegler; Liv. perioch. 140).

Pliny the Elder indicates a structure associated with the Portico of Octavia as the curia or schola Octaviae, a place where various works of art were displayed (Plin. nat. 35, 114; Plin. nat. 36, 22; Plin. nat. 36, 28-29) which may have been the library itself. Otherwise, he speaks more generically about opera Octaviae (Plin. nat. 34, 31; Plin. nat. 35, 139; Plin. nat. 36, 15). The relationship between these various names (opera, curia or schola Octaviae) and the library, and between the respective structures of the portico ([see BIBOCT-AR]), is not clear.^[2] The term curia (Plin. nat. 36, 28-29) could indicate that it was where meetings of the Senate were held: indeed documentation exists of a meeting for 7 BCE (D.C. 55, 8, 1).

Augustus entrusted the library’s organization to C. Melissus, freedman of Maecenas (Svet. gramm. 21, 1-3).^[3] The library had a Greek section and a Latin section, each with its own attendant slaves (CIL 6.2347; CIL 6.2348; CIL 6.2349; CIL 6.2433; CIL 6.2435).^[4]

We do not have much information about the library collection. The presence of works of Virgil and Livy could be inferred from Caligula’s failed attempt to remove them, together with their portraits, from all public libraries of Rome active during his reign (Svet. Cal. 34, 2), which may therefore also have included the library at the Portico of Octavia.^[5] At least until 8 CE, the Portico of Octavia library collection – as well as the Atrium Libertatis and Palatine collections [see BIBATR-LET; BIBPAL-LET – probably included the works of Ovid published prior to his exile (vv. 65-66 in Ov. trist. 3, 1, 59-74). Following the poet’s banishment, not only was the Ars amatoria excluded from Rome’s public libraries (vv. 65-66 in Ov. trist. 3, 1, 59-74), but most probably also those works published prior to his exile and those completed or composed after it (for their exclusion from the Portico of Octavia library, see in particular vv. 69-70 in Ov. trist. 3, 1, 59-74; see BIBATR-LET; BIBPAL-LET).^[6] In all likelihood, in the Portico of Octavia library (as well as in the Atrium Libertatis and Palatine libraries [see BIBATR-LET; BIBPAL-LET]) it must have also been possible to find the Greek and Latin works that Ovid mentions in Tristia 2, 363-418 and 421-466 (or, at least some of them), as well as similar texts. Indeed, Ovid says that “these things [i.e. works] are mixed with the classics by learned men, and have been made openly available and public though the gifts of our leaders” (suntque ea doctorum monumentis mixta uirorum, / muneribusque ducum publica facta patent: Ov. trist. 2, 419-420), clearly referring to the public libraries of Rome that were active at the start of the first century CE [see BIBATR-LET; BIBPAL-LET].^[7] As of Tiberius’ era, the works of Euphorion, Rhianus and Parthenius must also have been included in the collection. These authors were particularly appreciated by the emperor, who wanted the public libraries of Rome to be furnished with both their writings and their portraits (Svet. Tib. 70, 2).^[8]

In 80 CE, under Titus, the Portico of Octavia was destroyed by a fire which also struck the Capitol and Campus Martius (D.C. 66, 24, 1-2; Oros. hist. 7, 16, 1-3), the same fire that may well also have struck the Palatine library [see BIBPAL-LET]. Like the Palatine, the Portico of Octavia library was rebuilt under Domitian, who sent envoys to Alexandria to have copies made of some of the texts lost in the fire (Svet. Dom. 20, 1; [see BIBPAL-LET]). After another fire, the Portico of Octavia was restored by Septimius Severus and Caracalla in 203 CE (CIL 6.1034).

Select Bibliography: Fedeli 1988, p. 50; Dix–Houston 2006, pp. 685-688; Palombi 2014, pp. 101-105. Furthermore, see LTUR 4, 141-142, s.v. Porticus Octaviae (A. Viscogliosi).

1. There is some uncertainty as to the portico’s construction date: after 33 or 29 or 27 or 23, but before 11 (see Dix–Houston 2006, p. 685). It could also be plausible to date it after 27 BCE (Vitr. 3, 2, 5 still calls it the Porticus Metelli) and before 23 BCE (year of the death of Marcellus, who may have begun to build it when he was still alive, while he was aedile in 23 BCE: see Ov. ars 1, 69-70). In any case, the library was not necessarily built at the same time as the porticus. The news of Octavia’s dedication to Marcellus allows us to date the library between 23 and 11 BC. ↑

2. Dix–Houston 2006, p. 686: the two terms could indicate the same building (the library?) used both as the seat for Senate (curia) meetings and as a place for study and discussion (schola). ↑

3. On C. Melissus, see Bowie 2013, p. 247. ↑

4. Fedeli 1988, p. 62 n. 61; Palombi 2014, p. 105. On the library personnel, see Houston 2002; 2014, pp. 217-252. ↑

5. For other libraries that probably held works by Virgil and Livy [see BIBATR-LET; BIBPAL-LET; BIBAUG-LET; BIBTIB-LET]. For more details [see BIBPAL-LET]. ↑

6. For more details on the presence of Ovid’s works in Rome’s public libraries, with bibliography [see BIBPAL-LET]. In general, on the circulation of Ovid’s works after his exile [see BIBOV-LET]. ↑

7. Luck 1977, p. 140; Ingleheart 2010, pp. 328-330; [see BIBPAL-LET]. ↑

8. For other libraries that in all likelihood held these works [see BIBATR-LET; BIBPAL-LET; BIBAUG-LET]. ↑

Bibliography

Bowie, E. (2013), Libraries for the Caesars, in König, J. – Oikonomopoulou, K. – Woolf, G. (eds.), Ancient Libraries, Cambridge-New York, pp. 237-260.

Dix, T.K. – Houston, G.W. (2006), Public Libraries in the City of Rome. From the Augustan Age to the Time of Diocletian, «MEFRA» 118, pp. 671-717.

Fedeli, P. (1988), Biblioteche private e pubbliche a Roma e nel mondo romano, in Cavallo, G. (ed.), Le biblioteche nel mondo antico e medievale, Roma-Bari, pp. 29-64.

Houston, G.W. (2002), The Slave and Freedman Personnel of Public Libraries in Ancient Rome, «TAPhA» 132, pp. 139-176.

Houston, G.W. (2014), Inside Roman Libraries. Book Collections and their Management in Antiquity, Chapel Hill.

Ingleheart, J. (2010), A Commentary on Ovid, Tristia, Book 2, Oxford.

Luck, G. (1977), Publius Ovidius Naso. Tristia. Kommentar, vol. II, Heidelberg.

Palombi, D. (2014), Le biblioteche pubbliche a Roma: luoghi, libri, fruitori, pratiche, in Meneghini, R. – Rea, R. (eds.), La biblioteca infinita. I luoghi del sapere nel mondo antico, Milano, pp. 98-118.

Sources

About the author

Marta Maria Perilli - 0000-0001-6883-7286
Università degli studi di Firenze