Temple of Jupiter

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Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on Capitoline Hill, 6th-1st century BC.

The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus ("Jupiter, greatest and best"; also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus), was the great temple on the Capitol.

Contents

1 History

1.1 First building
1.2 Second building
1.3 Third building

2 Copies
3 Sources
4 External link

History

First building

The Temple of Jupiter was dedicated in 509 BC to Jupiter and his companion deities, Juno and Minerva, forming the Capitoline Triad. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus vowed this temple while battling with the Sabines, and seems to have laid some of its foundations; a large part of the work, however, was done by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, who is said to have nearly completed it. According to the tradition current in later times, there were shrines of other deities on the site intended for this temple, all of whom allowed themselves to be dispossessed in the proper way except Terminus and Iuventas. These shrines were therefore incorporated in the new temple, and the action of Terminus was regarded as a prophecy of the permanence of the cult and of Rome itself. The dedication of the temple on September 13 was ascribed to the first year of the republic when this honor fell to Horatius Pulvillus by lot.

The original Temple measured almost 60 x 24 m.

Second building

The first Temple was first burnt down in 83 BC, under the wars during the dictatorship of Sulla. Also lost in this fire were the Sibylline Books, which were written by classical sibyls, and stored in the Temple (to be guarded and consulted by the Quindecemviri (council of fifteen) on matters of state only on emergencies). Brutus and the assassins locked themselves inside it after murdering Caesar. The new temple of Quintus Lutatius Catulus was renovated and repaired by Augustus

Third building

The second building was burnt down during the course of fighting on the hill in AD 69, when Vespasian battled to enter the city as Emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors. It was replaced by the Emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian [link]. Ancient sources tell us Domitian used at least twelve thousands talents of gold for the guilding of the bronze roof tiles alone. In keeping with previous versions, statuary adorned the acroteria and reliefs the pediment. A Renaissance drawing of a now damaged relief in the Louvre Museum shows a quadriga (four-horsed chariot) at the highest point of the pediment, a biga (two-horsed chariot) on the far right acroterion and statues of the god Mars and goddess Venus in between.

On the pediment, the god Jupiter, flanked by Juno and Minerva on either side, were seated enthroned. Below was an eagle with wings spread out. A two-horsed chariot driven by the sun god and a two-horsed chariot driven by the moon respectively were depicted on either side of the three gods.

The temple as completed by Domitian is taken to have lasted more or less intact until the fifth century depradations of Stilicho, Genseric, and Narses, a period of over four hundred years.

Copies

The Temple of Jupiter in the ancient Pompeii.

The various version of the Temple of Jupiter were copied in many provinces of the Roman Empire, including Britannia, Pompeii and Africa.

Sources

Richardson, Lawrence. A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Stamper, John W. The Architecture of Roman Temples: The Republic to the Middle Empire. Cambridge University Press.

External link

[Temple of Jupiter]

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