DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29898#0351
Bk. IV. Ch. III.
TEMPLES.
315
entablature is bent into tbe forru of an arch over the central inter-
columniation, while on each side of the court the arches spring directly
from the capitals of the columns.
Had the Ptomans at this period been more desirous to improve
their external architecture, there is little doubt that t-hey would have
adopted the expedient of omitting the entire entablature ; but at this
time almost all their efforts were devoted to internal improvement,
and not unfrequently at the expense of the exterior. Indeed the
whole history of Roman art, from the time of Augustus to that of
Constantine, is a transition from the external architecture of the Greeks
to the internal embellishment of the Christians. At first we see the
cells of the temple gradually enlarged at the expense of the peristyle,
and finally, in some instances, entirely overpowering them. Their
basilicas and halls become more important than their porticoes, and
the exterior is in almost every instance sacrificed to internal arrange-
ments. Por an interior, an arch resting on a circular column is
obviously far more appropriate than one resting on a pier. Externally,
on the contrary, the square pier is most suitable, because a pillar
cannot sujoport a wall of sufficient thickness. This clefect was not
remeclied until the Gothic architects devised the plan of coupling two
or more pillars together ; but this point hacl not been reached at the
tirne when with the fall of Ptome all progress in art was effectually
checked for a time.
Temples.
There is perhaps nothing that strikes the inquirer into the archi-
tectural history of Rome more than the extreme insignificance of her
temples, as compared with the other builclings of the imperial city
and with some contemporary temples founcl in the provinces. The
only temple which remains at all worthy of such a capital is the
Pantheon. All others are now mere fragments, from which we can
with difficulty restore even the plans of the builclings, far less juclge
of their effect. We have now no means of forming an opinion of the
great national temple of the Capitoline Jove, no trace of it, nor any
intelligible clescription, having been preserved to the present time.
Its having been of Etruscan origin, and retaining its original form to
the latest clay, woulcl leacl us to suppose that the temple itself was
srnall, and that its magnificence, if any, was confinecl to the enclosure
ancl to the substructure, which may have been immense.
Of the Augustan age we have nothing but the remains of three
temples, each consisting of only three columns ; ancl the excava/tions
that have been macle around them have not sufficecl to make even their
plans tolerably clear.
The most remarkable was that of Jupiter Stator in the Forum, the
TEMPLES.
315
entablature is bent into tbe forru of an arch over the central inter-
columniation, while on each side of the court the arches spring directly
from the capitals of the columns.
Had the Ptomans at this period been more desirous to improve
their external architecture, there is little doubt that t-hey would have
adopted the expedient of omitting the entire entablature ; but at this
time almost all their efforts were devoted to internal improvement,
and not unfrequently at the expense of the exterior. Indeed the
whole history of Roman art, from the time of Augustus to that of
Constantine, is a transition from the external architecture of the Greeks
to the internal embellishment of the Christians. At first we see the
cells of the temple gradually enlarged at the expense of the peristyle,
and finally, in some instances, entirely overpowering them. Their
basilicas and halls become more important than their porticoes, and
the exterior is in almost every instance sacrificed to internal arrange-
ments. Por an interior, an arch resting on a circular column is
obviously far more appropriate than one resting on a pier. Externally,
on the contrary, the square pier is most suitable, because a pillar
cannot sujoport a wall of sufficient thickness. This clefect was not
remeclied until the Gothic architects devised the plan of coupling two
or more pillars together ; but this point hacl not been reached at the
tirne when with the fall of Ptome all progress in art was effectually
checked for a time.
Temples.
There is perhaps nothing that strikes the inquirer into the archi-
tectural history of Rome more than the extreme insignificance of her
temples, as compared with the other builclings of the imperial city
and with some contemporary temples founcl in the provinces. The
only temple which remains at all worthy of such a capital is the
Pantheon. All others are now mere fragments, from which we can
with difficulty restore even the plans of the builclings, far less juclge
of their effect. We have now no means of forming an opinion of the
great national temple of the Capitoline Jove, no trace of it, nor any
intelligible clescription, having been preserved to the present time.
Its having been of Etruscan origin, and retaining its original form to
the latest clay, woulcl leacl us to suppose that the temple itself was
srnall, and that its magnificence, if any, was confinecl to the enclosure
ancl to the substructure, which may have been immense.
Of the Augustan age we have nothing but the remains of three
temples, each consisting of only three columns ; ancl the excava/tions
that have been macle around them have not sufficecl to make even their
plans tolerably clear.
The most remarkable was that of Jupiter Stator in the Forum, the