The City of Rome & the Number 7

ROME

rome’s hills 2

rome’s temple 4

rome’s month 6

rome’s religion 8

rome’s demons 10

rome’s penitence 12

rome’s archangels 14

rome’s sacraments 16

THE CONTENTS

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Ii- ROME -

- The Hills -

The city of Rome is built upon 7 hills: Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal and Viminal. It is a well-known and time-honoured story that Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the Roman God Mars on Palatine Hill.

Local tradition holds that the seven hills were first occupied by small settlements and groups of people years before it was recognized as a city. The residents of these colonies and communities would meet up and participate in a series of religious

games. After years of congregating, the groups began to bond, unify and thus forth founded the city of Rome.

Although the city’s main structure is based upon the seven hills, Rome also has another 7 hills within its walls. The Cispian, Janiculum, Monte Mario, Oppian, Pincian, Vatican and Velian Hills make up part of the landscape. The whole foundation of Rome is based on the simple arithmetic sum of 7+7.

ROME’S HILLSTHE FOUNDATION

IiI- ROME -

- The Hills -

THE MONARCHY

Legend speaks that the first King of Rome was Romulus, the celebrated and fabled creator of the great city.

From 753 BC onwards, for the next 244 years, 6 more ktings were elected to the throne to join the legacy known as the Seven Kings of Rome. When the current king died, a new monarch would be elected, and this would come about by Rome entering a state of interregnum; where the Supreme power of the state would devolve to the Senate, with the task of appointing a new king. When a suitable nominee had been chosen and decided upon, he would be

put forward to the people of Rome, who could either choose to accept or reject him as their new leadter. If he was accepted as their new king, he would then become High Priest of Rome. This process is not too dissimilar to the election of the Pope, which goes under the name of sede vacante (vacant seat).

The seven Kings were: Romulas, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Lucis Tarquinius Priscus, Servis Tullius & Lucius Tarquinius Superbus

ROME’S KINGS

IV - ROME -

- The Kings -

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v- ROME -

- The Kings -

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vi - ROME -

- The Temple -

The Pantheon commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the Gods of Ancient Rome and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD. The literal translation of its name is “Temple Consecrated to all God’s;” and it has been in continuous use since the 7th Century. It has become one of the most recognisable arcitectural buildings in Rome; 24 pillars make up its stone Portico and

it’s Rotunda is a feat of engineering. The Pantheon is dedicated to seven astrological gods, which also represent the Solar System’s seven objects that are visible from Earth. These are: Apollo, The Sun God; Diana, Goddess of the Moon; Jupiter, King of Gods; Mars, God of War; Mercury, Messenger of Gods; Saturn, God of Time and Venus, Goddess of Love.

THE TEMPLE

ROME’S PANTHEON

ViI- ROME -

- The Temple -

In our modern day Gregorian calendar, September is the 9th month of the year, however up until the year 46 BC, it was the 7th. Unlike the present day calendar layout of 365 days spread over 12 months, the pre-Julian or Roman calendar’s had only 304 days spanning just 10 months, and as their year was two months shorter, their calendar ran began in March and ended in December. The first four months of the year were named in honour of Roman Gods: Martius; Aprilis, Maius and Junius; and the months following were named upon their position: Quinque (fifth),

Sextilis (from Sex meaning sixth), September (from Septem meaning Seventh), October (from octo meaning Eight), November (from Novem meaning Ninth)& December (from Decem meaning Tenth).

Since then the Roman calendar has been changed numerous times and the names have been altered, adapted and renamed in honour of men or God’s. The months have been reordered and the amount of days per month have changed, yet September’s name remains the same regardless of its position within the year.

THE 7th MONTH

ROME’S CALENDER

VIIi - ROME -

- The Month -

septemBER

ix- ROME -

- The Month -

BASILICA

X - ROME -

- The Religion -

St Peter’s Basilica, officially known as ‘The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican’ is a late renaissance church located within the Vatican City.

While it is neither the mother church of the Roman Catholics nor the Bishop of Rome’s Cathedral it is still considered as one of the most holy Catholic sites within the world. Within the world of architecture, St. Peter’s Basilica is regarded as the

greatest building of it’s age, drawing millions of people to it’s grounds on St. Peter’s Square every year.

7 architects brought this great building to life. These architects were: Donato Bramante, Antonio de Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno & Gianlorenzo Bernini.

ROME’S BASILICATHE RELIGION

xi- ROME -

- The Religion -

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XiI - ROME -

- The Demons -

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xIiI- ROME -

- The Demons -

Lviticuse

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7 Year. s

PenitenecFro each.

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XIv - ROME -

- The Penitence -

Could these seven years of Penitence be linked to the 7 years of bad luck that we are supposed to receive, if or when we break a mirror?

The Roman’s were the first to develop the glass mirror, and along with many other cultures throughout the world, they believed that it had the power to confiscate the soul of the person using it. If the event

occured that a mirror was broken then this would mean the corruption of bearer’s soul. However it was also their belief that once every 7 years the body renewed itself. Under this theory it would take the soul seven years to be repaired, which links in biblically with the length of Penitence which Leviticus advocates.

XV- ROME -

- The Penitence -

SEVEN ARCHANGELS WERE SENT FROM GOD

XVi - ROME -

- The Archangels -

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ChameluGabreli

iZJophile

Rphaela

Wichael

Ureli

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xvii- ROME -

- The Archangels -

marriageconfirmationreconciliation

eucharist

holy orders

baptism

annointing of the sick

.

.

XVIii - ROME -

- The Sacraments -

THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Roman Catholic teach that the 7 Sacraments of the Catholic Church were influential signs of grace, instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.

Although not everybody is able to receive every sacrament, the church enforces the seven rules and imparts that Christ bestows on particular

graces such as incorporation into Christ and the Church, forgiveness of sins or consecration for a particular service. Although the church itself is the universal sarcrament of salvation, the 7 rites touch all of the stages and the most important parts of a Christian’s life from their birth all the way up to their death.

Xix- ROME -

- The Sacraments -

By nominatio Senātus Populusque Romanus