Identification: Area Apollinis The inscription area Apollinis does not label the square feature but seems to identify the space around it as belonging/dedicated to Apollo (PM 1960, p. 143). Although the Regionary Catalogues place the area Apollinis et Splenis in Regio 1 (LTUR I, pp. 112-113), E. Rodríguez-Almeida has located this fragment, the joining fr. 20fg, and fr. 20h on in slab 50 which covers the Palatine. The similar thickness and veining direction of frs. 20fg and 20h to other FUR pieces from the Palatine area confirm this location (AG 1980, p. 99). Proposing that the letters [---]INI[---] in fr. 20h are part of the [A]REA APO[LLINIS] inscription, Rodríguez-Almeida suggests that the colonnade visible in fr. 20h surrounded the square, stepped feature in this and in fr. 20fg. He further identified this colonnaded area as the Phoebi porticus mentioned by Propertius (2.31.1-2) or the porticus ad Apollinis mentioned by Suetonius (Aug. 29.4), by Augustus (R. Gest. div. Aug. 19.1), and by Cassius Dio (53.1)(LTUR I, p. 113). He situates the cruciform structure in this fragment in front of the Temple to Apollo but admits that a major problem with this interpretation is that excavations on the Palatine in front of the temple have not revealed any remains that might match this structure (LTUR I, p. 113). C. Cecamore has solved this problem by sliding FUR frs. 20e, 20fg and 20h slightly north (down and to the left on the map); in this position, the cruciform feature matches foundations discovered SW of the Temple to Apollo (Cecamore 1994-95, p. 28, fig. 21). She points out that this adjusted position also aligns the colonnade visible in fr. 20h with the corner of the colonnade seen south of the libraries in the missing fr. 20b.

Identification: Roma Quadrata? Rodríguez-Almeida suggests that the cruciform structure in this fragment either represented an altar or the monumental statue base that was decorated with the armenta Mironis (Prop. 2.31.5-8) and/or carried the large statue of Apollo Citharedus (Prop. 2.31.5-8), shown on an Augustan coin (AG 1980, pp. 99-100; LTUR I, p. 113). Cecamore's repositioning of the fragment, however, makes this association impossible. A convincing thesis has been proposed by F. Coarelli, who identifies the feature as the Roma quadrata, a name that seemingly defines both the augural area on the Palatine, the borders of which were laid out by Romulus, and a shrine in the area Apollinis that supposedly consisted of a raised platform (LTUR IV, p. 209).

Significance Rodríguez-Almeida and Cecamore's positioning of this missing fragment helps identify the feature depicted in it and greatly improves our knowledge of the complicated archaeology around the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine.

Text by Tina Najbjerg