DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0144
104
CASTOR
or historical, except of one bronze tablet which was a memorial of
the granting of citizenship to the Equites Campani in 340 b.c. (Liv. viii.
II. 16).
The traces of the earlier structures (including some opus quadratum
belonging to the original temple ; see Ill. 12) indicate successive enlarge-
ments with some changes in the plan of cella and pronaos (for the discussion
of these changes and the history of the temple, see Van Buren, CR 1906,
77-82, 184, who also thinks that traces can be found of a restoration in
the third century b.c. ; cf. however, AJA 1912, 244-246). The Augustan
temple was Corinthian, octastyle and peripteral, with eleven columns on
each side, and a double row on each side of the pronaos. This pronaos
was 9.90 metres by 15.80, the cella 16 by 19.70, and the whole building
about 50 metres long by 30 wide. The floor was about 7 metres above
the Sacra via. The very lofty podium consisted of a concrete core
enclosed in tufa walls, from which projected short spur walls. On these
stood the columns, but directly beneath them at the points of heaviest
pressure travertine was substituted for tufa. Between these spur walls
were chambers in the podium, opening outward and closed by metal
doors. From the pronaos a flight of eleven steps, extending nearly
across the whole width of the temple, led down to a wide platform,
3.66 metres above the area in front. This was provided with a railing
and formed a high and safe place from which to address the people.
From the frequent references in literature (see above) it is evident that
there was a similar arrangement in the earlier temple of Metellus. Leading
from this platform to the ground were two narrow staircases, at the ends
and not in front. The podium was covered with marble and decorated
with two cornices, one at the top and another just above the metal doors
of the strong chambers. Of the superstructure three columns on the
east side are standing, which are regarded as perhaps the finest archi-
tectural remains in Rome. They are of white marble, fluted, 12.50 metres
in height and 1.45 in diameter. The entablature, 3.75 metres high, has
a plain frieze and an admirable worked cornice (for the complete descrip-
tion of the remains of the imperial temple previous to 1899, see Richter,
Jahrb. d. Inst. 1898, 87-114; also Reber, 136-142; D’Esp. Fr. i. 87-91 ;
ii. 87 ; for the results of the excavations since 1899, CR 1899, 466 ; 1902,
95, 284; BC 1899, 253; 1900, 66, 285; 1902, 28; 1903, 165; Mitt.
1902, 66-67 J 19°5> θ° 1 for general discussion of the temple, Jord. i. 2.
369-376; LR 271-274; HC 161-164; Thed. 116-120, 210-212 ; DE i.
175-176; WR 268-271 ; DR 160-170; RE Suppl. iv. 469-471 ; Mem.
Am. Acad. v. 79-1021; ASA 70; HFP 37, 38).
This temple was standing in the fourth century, but nothing is known
of its subsequent history, except that in the fifteenth century only three
columns were visible, for the street running by them was called via
Trium Columnarum (Jord. ii. 412, 501 ; LS i. 72, and for other reff. ii. 69,
1 The conclusions of this article are based on inaccurate drawings.
CASTOR
or historical, except of one bronze tablet which was a memorial of
the granting of citizenship to the Equites Campani in 340 b.c. (Liv. viii.
II. 16).
The traces of the earlier structures (including some opus quadratum
belonging to the original temple ; see Ill. 12) indicate successive enlarge-
ments with some changes in the plan of cella and pronaos (for the discussion
of these changes and the history of the temple, see Van Buren, CR 1906,
77-82, 184, who also thinks that traces can be found of a restoration in
the third century b.c. ; cf. however, AJA 1912, 244-246). The Augustan
temple was Corinthian, octastyle and peripteral, with eleven columns on
each side, and a double row on each side of the pronaos. This pronaos
was 9.90 metres by 15.80, the cella 16 by 19.70, and the whole building
about 50 metres long by 30 wide. The floor was about 7 metres above
the Sacra via. The very lofty podium consisted of a concrete core
enclosed in tufa walls, from which projected short spur walls. On these
stood the columns, but directly beneath them at the points of heaviest
pressure travertine was substituted for tufa. Between these spur walls
were chambers in the podium, opening outward and closed by metal
doors. From the pronaos a flight of eleven steps, extending nearly
across the whole width of the temple, led down to a wide platform,
3.66 metres above the area in front. This was provided with a railing
and formed a high and safe place from which to address the people.
From the frequent references in literature (see above) it is evident that
there was a similar arrangement in the earlier temple of Metellus. Leading
from this platform to the ground were two narrow staircases, at the ends
and not in front. The podium was covered with marble and decorated
with two cornices, one at the top and another just above the metal doors
of the strong chambers. Of the superstructure three columns on the
east side are standing, which are regarded as perhaps the finest archi-
tectural remains in Rome. They are of white marble, fluted, 12.50 metres
in height and 1.45 in diameter. The entablature, 3.75 metres high, has
a plain frieze and an admirable worked cornice (for the complete descrip-
tion of the remains of the imperial temple previous to 1899, see Richter,
Jahrb. d. Inst. 1898, 87-114; also Reber, 136-142; D’Esp. Fr. i. 87-91 ;
ii. 87 ; for the results of the excavations since 1899, CR 1899, 466 ; 1902,
95, 284; BC 1899, 253; 1900, 66, 285; 1902, 28; 1903, 165; Mitt.
1902, 66-67 J 19°5> θ° 1 for general discussion of the temple, Jord. i. 2.
369-376; LR 271-274; HC 161-164; Thed. 116-120, 210-212 ; DE i.
175-176; WR 268-271 ; DR 160-170; RE Suppl. iv. 469-471 ; Mem.
Am. Acad. v. 79-1021; ASA 70; HFP 37, 38).
This temple was standing in the fourth century, but nothing is known
of its subsequent history, except that in the fifteenth century only three
columns were visible, for the street running by them was called via
Trium Columnarum (Jord. ii. 412, 501 ; LS i. 72, and for other reff. ii. 69,
1 The conclusions of this article are based on inaccurate drawings.