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Servian Wall Mysteries
If you're walking the whole circuit, keep an eye on where the wall disappears entirely. Around Via del Teatro di Marcello and the slopes of the Campidoglio, big chunks got swallowed by later buildings, so what looks like a gap is often the wall buried inside a Renaissance palazzo foundation. That's why some "sections" seem to jump in age so abruptly, you're not seeing repairs but a fragment that survived because someone built on top of it.
For the actual construction phases, the giveaway is the quarry source. Original 4th century BC work uses Grotta Oscura tufo from Veii, which is that yellowish-greenish stone. After Rome lost control of those quarries, they switched to tufo from Fidenae and then Monteverde, greyer and softer. So if a stretch looks "off," check the color first, it usually tells you the century faster than the masonry style does.
No secret passage though. The tunnels people sometimes spot near the Porta Esquilina are medieval and later, mostly drainage and postern access, not republican.
honestly the "off" sections you're seeing might not be ancient repairs at all. a lot of what looks like mismatched stonework is actually later spolia, meaning medieval or Renaissance builders pulled blocks from wherever and shoved them back in. near the Aventine there's a stretch where you can spot marble fragments and even funerary inscriptions reused in the wall face, which is a tell it got patched way after antiquity.
also check the mortar. republican stuff is basically dry-laid or has super thin joints, while anything with thick visible mortar between blocks is prob medieval. that distinction helped me way more than color alone.
as for secret passages, ngl the only "hidden" thing worth hunting is the arch of Gallienus area, where the wall incorporated an earlier gate. no tunnel, but the way the masonry wraps around the older opening is pretty cool to see up close.
What are current tobacco prices for LM Blue or Chesterfield Blue?
tbh duty free at Riga is only worth it if you're buying cartons, single packs at the airport arent that much cheaper than teh tabaccai in Rome. also remember you can only bring a limited amount into the EU anyway so stockpiling has its limits
Chesterfield Blue usually runs around 5.50 to 6 euros a pack in Rome these days, though tabaccai prices are fixed by the state so it won't vary much shop to shop. Riga is generally cheaper for cigarettes but your layover time matters, if it's tight you might not have time to clear security and find a shop.
LM Blue in Rome is roughly the same ballpark, around 5.50 to 6 euros. One thing to keep in mind at Riga airport, the duty free selection isn't always great for specific brands like these, so if you're set on LM or Chesterfield you might strike out. I'd check what the actual duty free has before counting on it.