Il Tevere, i ponti e l’Annona

A reexamination of the Tiber bridges leads to propose some new solutions, as the identification of Pons Probi in the remains upstream of Ponte Sisto, and Pons Theodosii in those under the Aventine. No other bridges are known from the mouth of the river to this point, because they would obstacle the ships traveling upstream to the city. According to Lanciani, the hill of Monte Citorio would consist of fragments of late antique amphorae: due to the proximity of Portus Vinarius and Templum Solis we could hypothesize they were wine amphorae. This allows to identify a functional division: to the Campus Martius arrived wine – descending along the river – and pigs – walking along the via Flaminia, both from the Italian hinterland; under the Aventine on the other hand arrived grain, oil, marble: in general all the goods and commodities imported by sea to the port of Ostia.