† septizonen.

Etymology: < Middle French, French septizone ostentatious monumental facade built during the reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (reigned 193–211) and dedicated in a.d.203 (1583 or earlier) < classical Latin septizōnium monument of Severus (attested in an inscription of the first half of the 3rd cent. a.d.; in post-classical Latin also in literary sources from the 5th cent. or earlier; also recorded in the form septizōdium : see below), attested earlier denoting a building (or location) in Rome near which the Roman emperor Titus was born (mid 2nd cent. a.d. in Suetonius) < septi- septi- comb. form¹ + zōna zone n. + -ium (see -y suffix⁴). If the original form is classical Latin septizōdium , it may derive < septi- septi- comb. form¹ + ancient Greek ζῴδιον sign of the zodiac (see zodiac n.; compare -y suffix⁴).Little is known of the septizōnium mentioned by Suetonius, as this is the only occurrence of the word in this sense. It is unclear whether the monument to Severus was originally called septizōnium or septizōdium . Both forms are attested denoting monuments to Severus in inscriptions of the early 3rd cent. a.d. from North Africa (where the Emperor was born). It is arguably easier to account for the form septizōnium . In post-classical Latin septizonium was also used to denote a planetary sphere or zodiac (5th cent.). Hellenistic Greek ἑπτάζωνος (‘having seven zones’) is recorded from the 2nd cent. a.d. to describe the series of the seven ‘planets’ Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon. In the Roman period this series (in a slightly different order following the days of the week) is found on countless monuments. The form septizōdium is more difficult to explain, since there were not seven signs of the zodiac but twelve, but the planets were associated with signs of the zodiac which might explain why septizōdium arose as a variant of septizōnium . Compare the following earlier examples of classical Latin (or post-classical Latin) septizōnium in English contexts. In quot. 1579 septizonium denotes the monument of Severus, in quot. 1606 the birthplace of Titus. Ammianus Marcellinus (compare quot. 1609) is probably describing the monument of Severus, since the dedicatory inscription for this monument mentions the Emperor Marcus Aurelius as an ancestor of Severus.1579 T. Twyne tr. Petrarch Phisicke against Fortune i. cxviii. f. 148^v Where are Dioclesians warme Fountaynes,..and Seuerus Septizonium [L. septizonium Seueri], and also his Senerian warme Welles?1600 P. Holland tr. J. B. Marlianus Svmmary Topogr. Rome iv. xvi. in tr. Livy Rom. Hist. 1379 Two of these Septizonia we read there were at Rome, to wit, the one of Titus..the other of Severus.1606 P. Holland tr. Suetonius Hist. Twelve Caesars 253 This Titus..was borne..neere unto the..Septizonium [L. septizonium], within a poore ill favoured house.1609 P. Holland tr. Ammianus Marcellinus Rom. Hist. xv. vi. 41 The communaltie..met together at Septizonium [L. Septemzodium], a place of much resort, where Marcus the Emperour built his Baine, a sumptuous and stately piece of worke.