PORTICUS MARGARITARIA
mentioned only in Not. (Reg. VIII). As there are numerous inscriptions referring to jewellers (CIL vi. 9207, 9221, 9239, 9418, 9419), including margaritarii (9545-9549), who had shops ' de Sacra via,' it is often supposed that the porticus Margaritaria may have been on the Sacra via, though the inscriptions are all of the early imperial period. In the space between this street and the Nova via, and east of the Atrium Vestae, are massive foundations of the time of Nero (AJA 1912, 406; 1923, 383 sqq.; Mem. Am. Acad. v. 115-126) and remains of later brick walls. The former belong to a very large porticus, which served as the approach from the forum to the vestibule of the domus Aurea. The floor of this building was originally undivided, except by its piers of travertine, but partition walls of brick were afterwards put up (LR 210-21; BC 1899, 256; 9000, 11, pis. i., ii.; CR 1900, 238; 1905, 75-76). Though the main structure was certainly converted into horrea, it is possible that a part of it, as Lanciani thinks, still later became the porticus Margaritaria, in spite of the objections of Hiulsen (AA 1900, 9; 1902, 51; Mitt. 1902, 95; HJ 15), who agrees with Jordan (i. 2. 476) in placing the porticus on the boundary of Region VIII, between the forum Boarium and the forum Holitorium.