At different times in their history, the Roman state employed up to five places of imprisonment: the Carcer, the Tullianum, the Lautumiae, ergastula, and al- lied towns. Somewhat confusingly, ‘carcer’ is a term that can mean both a prison (general) and the Carcer (specific), referring to the small stone structure in the Roman Forum bearing that name.
The Carcer and the Tullianum
The Carcer, located just behind the Senate House and beside the Gemonian Stairs, was Rome’s state-operated prison. Made up of two single-cell levels, the top cell was called the Carcer and the bottom the Tullianum; entry to the Tullianum was exclusively through a manhole-sized opening in the floor of the Carcer. Not everyone agrees about the origin of these cells, but one prevailing theory comes from Livy, who believed that King Ancus Marcius built the Carcer in 630 BC and that King Servius Tullius added the Tullianum later. Archaeological work has uncovered evidence to support this date (if not an even earlier one), though it places the Tullianum as having existed first. The earliest recorded use of the Carcer as a prison is from the fifth or fourth century. Built on top of each other, the two cells were often thought of together, though they each had a distinct role. The Carcer was used for holding a small number of individuals and was suitable for anyone,
