Buildings and Locations

Ancient

Horrea Sempronia

Mentioned only in Festus (290), it appears that these warehouses were established by the Gracchan legislation. If so, they were as old as the horrea Galbae.

Basilica Sempronia

Erected in 169 B.C. by the censor Ti. Sempronius Gracchus, father of tribunes Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. The Basilica stood at the point where the Vicus Tuscus entered the forum, behind the Tabernae Veteres and near the statue of Vortumnus.

On a resolution of the senate, half the proceeds of the year's revenue was assigned to them by the quaestor for the construction of public works. Out of the sum allotted to him Tiberius Sempronius purchased for the State the dwelling-house of P. Africanus behind the "Old Shops" by the statue of Vertumnus, together with the butchers' stalls and the booths adjoining. He also signed a contract for the construction of the building afterwards known as the Basilica Sempronia.

—Livy History of Rome Book XLIV XVI

The house of Scipio Africanus and some shops was torn down when the basilica was built. Gracchus was married to the daughter of Scipio Africanus, so he might have inherited the land after Scipio's death in 184 BCE.

Nothing more is known of the history of the building, but it must have been destroyed by Julius Caesar when the Basilica Julia was built.

Excavations in the area have revealed remains of the basilica, and an impluvium which probably belonged to the house of Scipio Africanus, since it predates the Basilica Sempronia.

Sepulcrum Semproniorum

The tomb of the Sempronii, of the end of the republic, situated just outside the porta Sanqualis, at the upper end of the present Via Dataria. It was excavated in 1863 (Bull. d. Inst. 1864, 6), but the inscription had been known in the seventeenth century (CIL vi.26152). The travertine façade on the clivus leading up to the gate had a plain arched entrance into the sepulchral chamber, which was cut in the tufa rock. The threshold was two metres above the pavement of the road, and over the doorway was a decorated frieze and cornice (BC 1876, 126-127, pl. xii; HJ 403).

Sempronius' Monument

Ancient maps show a tantalizing pyramid located near the Circus of Nero in what is now the Borgo district. Titled "Sempronius' Monument," no trace of it remains today.

Aedes Telluris

A temple vowed by P. Sempronius Sophus during an earthquake which occurred during a battle with the Picentes in 268 B.C. (Flor. i.14). Rosch. V.338 remarks that the vow is a natural one enough in the circumstances. It was doubtless built at once, although its erection is ascribed to the city or senate in two sources (Val. Max. VI.3.1; Dionys. VIII.79).

It was on the Esquiline, in Carinis (Suet. de gramm. 15; Dionys. loc. cit.; Serv. Aen. VIII.361), on the site formerly occupied by the house of SP. CASSIUS (q.v.), which was said to have been pulled down in 495 B.C. (Cic. de domo 101; Livy II.41.11; Val. Max. loc. cit.; cf. Plin. NH XXXIV.15, 30), near the house of Antonius (App. B.C. ii.126) and that of Q. CICERO (q.v.).

The latter restored the temple about 54 B.C. (Cic. ad Q. fr. III.1.4; de har. resp. 31), and apparently gained possession of some of the land hitherto belonging to the temple. The day of dedication was 13th December (Fast. Ant. ad Id. Dec., CIL i2 p249, 336), when Ceres was associated with Tellus as on other occasions (WR 192-195). The fact that the worship of Tellus was very ancient makes it probable that there was a much earlier cult centre on the site afterwards occupied by the temple.

Aedes Fortuna Publica Populi Romani Quiritium Primigenia

This is one of three temples to Fortuna on the Quirinal, just inside the Porta Collina, which gave their name to the district. The principal one of these three seems to have been that of the Praenestine goddess who was known officially at Rome as Fortuna Publica Populi Romani Quiritium Primigenia.

This temple was vowed in 204 B.C.E. by consul P. Sempronius Sophus at the beginning of the battle with Hannibal at Croton (Liv. xxix.36.8), and dedicated on 25 May 194 B.C.E. by Q. Marcius Ralla (Liv. xxxiv.53). It is probably this temple in which prodigies were observed in 169 B.C.E.:

"Two temple custodians in the City of Rome announced portents; one stated that a crested snake had been seen by several persons in the Temple of Fortune; the other declared that two distinct portents had appeared in the Temple of Fortuna Primigenia on the Quirinal, a palm tree sprang up in the temple precinct and a rain of blood had fallen in the daytime."

"... alter in aede Primigeniae Fortunae, quae in Colle est, duo diuersa prodigia, palmam in area enatam et sanguine interdiu pluuisse." (Liv. XLIII.13).

Tomb of Lucius Sempronius Atratinus

Located in the Roman province of Cajeta, Spain. Before it was robbed of its marble facing in the Middle Ages, it likely resembled Hadrian's mausoleum and was similar in size to the much better-preserved Mausoleum of Plancus.

Modern

Forum Sempronii (Modern Fossombrone)

Founded in the second century BCE, either by Caius Sempronius Gracchus, or by another less illustrious family member. It was, and is, the main town on the Via Flaminia between the mountain towns of Acqualagna and Cagli and the Adriatic at Fano. The ancient Forum Sempronii is about two miles northeast of the modern town at San Martino al Piano, where remains still exist.

Town of Sempronius, New York

Community of Sempronius, Texas (abandoned)