Pennethorne, John; Robinson, John [Ill.]: The geometry and optics of ancient architecture: illustrated by examples from Thebes, Athens, and Rome (London [u.a.], 1878)

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE,

219

THE POSITION OF THE ROMAN TEMPLES.

When considering the Architecture of
Egypt and of Greece, we found that the
spectator was always led by the artificial
arrangement of the roads and of the enclo-
sures, to view the designs from certain
favourable points of view.

In Egypt, avenues of Sphinxes led to
central Propylaea, which formed the entrance
to a series of Inner Courts.

In Greece the Temples were generally
approached so as to be seen from angular
points of view, as shown in the plan of the
Athenian Acropolis, and the question may
naturally be asked whether, in the Roman
Forum and in other designs, the positions
of the Temples were at all considered with
reference to any fixed points of view, the
same as in Egypt and in Greece.

The Roman Forum. (See Figure.)

In the Roman Forum, the line of the
Sacred Way can be traced with certainty
from the Arch of Septimus to the Arch of
Titus, and supposing the Temple of Jupiter
Stator and the Temple of Antoninus and
Faustina, to have been viewed from central
points of sight, embracing the Lower Steps
within the usual angle of 45°, then both
these Temples were so arranged in position,
that the given points of sight appear to be
exactly hi the centre of the Sacred Way.

In the case of the Temple of Jupiter
Tonans, the central point of sight seems to be on a line of road almost at right angles to the
Sacred Way, and central with the Arch of Septimus.