DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0357
IUPPITER OPTIMUS MAXIMUS CAPITOLINUS
299
This first temple was burned to the ground on 6th July, 83 b.c.
(Cic. Cat. iii. 9 ; Sall. Cat. 47. 2 ; Tac. Hist. iii. 72 ; App. BC i. 83, 86 ;
Obseq. 57 ; Plut. Sulla 27 ; Cassiod. ad a. 671), with the statue of Jupiter
(Plut. delside 71 ; cf. Ov. Fast. i. 201), and the Sibylline books that had
been kept in a stone chest (Dionys. iv. 62), but the temple treasure was
carried in safety to Praeneste by the younger Marius (Plin. NH xxxiii. 16).
The rebuilding was taken in hand by Sulla (Vai. Max. ix. 3. 8 ; Tac. Hist.
iii. 72), who is said to have brought the white marble Corinthian columns
of the Olympieion in Athens to Rome for this temple (Plin. NH xxxvi. 45).
They do not seem to have been used, for coins of 43 b.c. 1 (Babeion,
ii. 291, Pet. 1-4; BM. Rep. i. 571. 4217-25) represent those standing
as Doric. Most of the rebuilding fell to the lot of Q. Lutatius Catulus,
being assigned to him by the senate (Cic. Verr. iv. 69 ; Varro ap. Gell.
ii. IO ; Lactant. de ira dei 22. 6 ; Suet. Caes. 15), and the new structure
was dedicated by him in 69 (Liv. ep. 98 ; Plut. Popl. 15 ; cf. Plin. NH
vii. 138 ; xix. 23 ; Suet. Aug. 94). Catulus’ name was inscribed above
the entrance (Tac. Hist. iii. 72) and remained there until 69 a.d., so that
the vote of the senate to substitute Caesar’s name, after the dictator’s
death (Cass. Dio xliii. 14 ; cf. xxxvii. 44), was not carried out. This
temple was built on the original foundations (Tac. loc. cit.) and plan,
except that it was higher (Vai. Max. iv. 4. 11), more expensive (Dionys.
iv. 61), and doubtless more splendid. The greater height of the temple
was not in harmony with that of the stylobate, and Catulus wished to
remedy this fault by lowering the level of the area Capitolina. This,
however, could not be done because of the favissae, or underground
passages which were entered from the cella of the temple, and in which
were stored the old statues that had fallen from the roof, and various
dedicatory gifts (Fest. 88 ; Gell. ii. 10 ; Gilb. ii. 419 ; Rosch. ii. 710).
The kind of stone employed is not known. The roof was supported by
eagles ‘ vetere ligno ’ (Tac. loc. cit.), and covered with plates of gilt bronze
(Plin. NH xxxiii. 57 ; Sen. Contr. i. 6. 4 ; ii. 1. 1). The denarius referred
to above shows Roma standing on shields between two birds, with the
wolf and twins on the right (cf. Cass. Dio xlv. 1 ; Suet. Aug. 94), and on
the apex a statue of Jupiter in a quadriga. The ancient terra cotta
statue of Jupiter seems to have been replaced by one of gold and ivory,
in sitting posture (Joseph. Ant. Iud. xix. 1. 2), made probably by some
Greek artist, perhaps Apollonius, in imitation of that of Zeus at Olympia
(Chalcid. in Plat. Tim. 338 c; Brunn, Kunstlergeschichte i1. 543 = i2.
379). Catulus also dedicated a statue to Minerva, infra Capitolium
(Plin. NH xxxiv. 77). Cf. CIL i2. 725, 730-732 = vi. 30920-4 for dedicatory
1 Add a coin of the gens Volteia (Babeion, ii. 565 ; BM. Rep. i. 388. 1, where it is dated
after 83 b.c.). The temple was areostyle, and its pediment was dedicated ‘ tuscanico
more,’ probably with statues of gilt bronze (Vitr. iii. 3. 5, quoted on p. 255). See BC 1925,
169-176. It is also represented, with its lofty podium, on one of the Boscoreale cups
(Mon. Piot, v. (1899) pl. xxxvi. 2 ; Rostowzew, History of the Ancient World, ii. Rome,
186), where an eagle is clearly visible in the pediment.
299
This first temple was burned to the ground on 6th July, 83 b.c.
(Cic. Cat. iii. 9 ; Sall. Cat. 47. 2 ; Tac. Hist. iii. 72 ; App. BC i. 83, 86 ;
Obseq. 57 ; Plut. Sulla 27 ; Cassiod. ad a. 671), with the statue of Jupiter
(Plut. delside 71 ; cf. Ov. Fast. i. 201), and the Sibylline books that had
been kept in a stone chest (Dionys. iv. 62), but the temple treasure was
carried in safety to Praeneste by the younger Marius (Plin. NH xxxiii. 16).
The rebuilding was taken in hand by Sulla (Vai. Max. ix. 3. 8 ; Tac. Hist.
iii. 72), who is said to have brought the white marble Corinthian columns
of the Olympieion in Athens to Rome for this temple (Plin. NH xxxvi. 45).
They do not seem to have been used, for coins of 43 b.c. 1 (Babeion,
ii. 291, Pet. 1-4; BM. Rep. i. 571. 4217-25) represent those standing
as Doric. Most of the rebuilding fell to the lot of Q. Lutatius Catulus,
being assigned to him by the senate (Cic. Verr. iv. 69 ; Varro ap. Gell.
ii. IO ; Lactant. de ira dei 22. 6 ; Suet. Caes. 15), and the new structure
was dedicated by him in 69 (Liv. ep. 98 ; Plut. Popl. 15 ; cf. Plin. NH
vii. 138 ; xix. 23 ; Suet. Aug. 94). Catulus’ name was inscribed above
the entrance (Tac. Hist. iii. 72) and remained there until 69 a.d., so that
the vote of the senate to substitute Caesar’s name, after the dictator’s
death (Cass. Dio xliii. 14 ; cf. xxxvii. 44), was not carried out. This
temple was built on the original foundations (Tac. loc. cit.) and plan,
except that it was higher (Vai. Max. iv. 4. 11), more expensive (Dionys.
iv. 61), and doubtless more splendid. The greater height of the temple
was not in harmony with that of the stylobate, and Catulus wished to
remedy this fault by lowering the level of the area Capitolina. This,
however, could not be done because of the favissae, or underground
passages which were entered from the cella of the temple, and in which
were stored the old statues that had fallen from the roof, and various
dedicatory gifts (Fest. 88 ; Gell. ii. 10 ; Gilb. ii. 419 ; Rosch. ii. 710).
The kind of stone employed is not known. The roof was supported by
eagles ‘ vetere ligno ’ (Tac. loc. cit.), and covered with plates of gilt bronze
(Plin. NH xxxiii. 57 ; Sen. Contr. i. 6. 4 ; ii. 1. 1). The denarius referred
to above shows Roma standing on shields between two birds, with the
wolf and twins on the right (cf. Cass. Dio xlv. 1 ; Suet. Aug. 94), and on
the apex a statue of Jupiter in a quadriga. The ancient terra cotta
statue of Jupiter seems to have been replaced by one of gold and ivory,
in sitting posture (Joseph. Ant. Iud. xix. 1. 2), made probably by some
Greek artist, perhaps Apollonius, in imitation of that of Zeus at Olympia
(Chalcid. in Plat. Tim. 338 c; Brunn, Kunstlergeschichte i1. 543 = i2.
379). Catulus also dedicated a statue to Minerva, infra Capitolium
(Plin. NH xxxiv. 77). Cf. CIL i2. 725, 730-732 = vi. 30920-4 for dedicatory
1 Add a coin of the gens Volteia (Babeion, ii. 565 ; BM. Rep. i. 388. 1, where it is dated
after 83 b.c.). The temple was areostyle, and its pediment was dedicated ‘ tuscanico
more,’ probably with statues of gilt bronze (Vitr. iii. 3. 5, quoted on p. 255). See BC 1925,
169-176. It is also represented, with its lofty podium, on one of the Boscoreale cups
(Mon. Piot, v. (1899) pl. xxxvi. 2 ; Rostowzew, History of the Ancient World, ii. Rome,
186), where an eagle is clearly visible in the pediment.