The Fourteen Regions of Rome
Source: Ian Mladjov, University of Michigan, http://sitemaker.umich.edu/mladjov/files/rome312.jpg.
Analysis of Data from the Notitia
The data from the following graphs were compiled from the Notitia, a topographical survey of Rome ca. 312 CE. The Notitia and the Curiosum are collectively known as the Regionary Catalogs and provide lists of major monuments within each region as well as quantities of architectural features, such as housing and amenities. By analyzing the Regionaries it is clear that insulae outnumbered all other architecture in the area and we can see which regions were densely occupied by insulae.
Here we can see that insulae outnumber domus with insulae numbering 43,580 and domus at a mere 1,782. From the graph we can easily observe that the majority of insulae during the 4th century could be found in the Transtiberim (Region XIV). This is not surprising considering that this area would have had more space for housing, as it was the largest in terms of square mileage and not heavily occupied by monuments and civic buildings. The Transtiberim would have possibly needed more housing for lower class workers employed as millers, tanners, wool workers, and other such labor intensive jobs that were located in this area.
It is uncertain how daily life in ancient Rome would have been affected by housing or how communities formed, but scholars, such as Stephen Dyson, would argue that Rome is comprised of a series of small villages or neighborhoods within the fourteen districts. I am inclined to agree with this since modern cities today are often oriented in this way and it seems likely that in an era without technological transportation, residents would need amenities within a walkable radius of where they work and live. So if we are going to believe that no space in Rome is purely residential because inhabitants need food, entertainment, sanitation to stay happy and healthy, then we need to not only look at housing but also other amenities available in each region.
This graph based on some of the other architectural elements that can be found in the regions based on numbers from the Regionary Catalogs. The Transtiberim again is clearly dominating all other regions. It’s interesting to look at the second highest concentration of other buildings in region VIII and the region with the lowest concentration in region XI. Region VIII is the Forum Romanum, the central political and entertainment center of Rome, thus it would be expected to find a high amount of housing in this area we are to assume that Romans lived in small neighborhoods within the fourteen regions. However, the lack of insulae in region XI, the Circus Flaminius, is surprising since this area is typically seen as the warehouse district, which would have been full of warehouses and markets, yet this graph shows that it had the lowest quantity of warehouses. This may be the result of a lack of space in region XI and does not necessarily reflect the density of amenities and insulae in the region.
Insuale density by region. I made this bubble graph by entering in the quantity of insulae within each region and the square mileage and then dividing the quantity by square mileage to obtain the density.