DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0632
554
VENUS VERTICORDIA
peribolus. The two cellae ended in apses placed back to back ; but as
the side walls of the cellae were prolonged so as to meet, the external
appearance was that of one long rectangular building.
This temple was decastyle, of the Corinthian order, and pseudo-
dipteral (Cohen, Hadr. 1420-3,1 Pius 698-703, 1074-6; BC 1903, 19), the
columns of the peristyle being of white marble about 1.8 metres in
diameter. The cellae were narrower than the fagade, and each pronaos
had only four columns between the antae. The building was constructed
of brick-faced concrete, and entirely covered with marble. Within
the cellae, on each side, were rows of porphyry columns supporting an
entablature. In the apses were five niches, alternately square and
semicircular, with columns and entablatures in front of them. In the
central niche of each apse was the statue of the goddess herself—Venus
in one and Roma in the other. Within the precincts of the temple were
silver statues of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, and an altar on which
sacrifice was made by newly married couples (Cass. Dio lxxi. 31), a statue
of Minerva (Serv. Aen. ii. 227), and doubtless many more (Hist. Aug.
trig. tyr. 32).
A single staircase, between the apses on the south side, led to the
roof of the temple (NA 1910, 631-638; RA 131-132, 213-215), which
was covered with gilt tiles. A part of the west front of the temple, with
its sculptured pediment, is represented on two fragments of a relief, now
in the Lateran and Museo delle Terme (MD 3519 ; Benndorf-Schoene,
Lateran 20 ; S. Sculp. 238-240 ; Mitt. 1895, 248 ; PT 227-228 ; see
Pantheon),2 which shows that on this west pediment were reliefs of Mars
visiting Rhea Silvia and of the she-wolf suckling the twins. Most of
the west cella has been destroyed ; the apse and part of the east cella
still stand in ruins, with many fragments of the columns of peristyle
and peribolus (see DAP 2. xv. 368, and LS i. passim; ii. 220-222, for
particulars of building materials quarried on its site). This temple with
its enormous peribolus falls into the same category of buildings as the
imperial fora, of which it formed a virtual continuation (HJ 17-20 ; Gilb.
iii. 136; HC 243-247; WR 293, 340; D’Esp. Mon. ii. 90-95; Fr. ii.
88-90; DR 185-190; RE Suppl. iv. 481-484; Mem. L. 5. xvii. 525;
ASA 73, 74 ; HFP 51-52 ; JRS 1925, 218, 219).
Venus Verticordia, aedes : a temple built in 114 b.c., in accordance with
instructions of the Sibylline books, to atone for a case of incest among
the Vestals and a prodigium that followed the acquittal of two at the
first trial (Obseq. 37 (97) ; Lydus de mens. iv. 15 ; Ov. Fast. iv. 157-160 ;
1 These coins show an isolated column with a statue (Hadrian and Sabina) on each side
of the temple ; and Thiersch maintains (Jahrb. d. Inst. 1913, 266-267) that the prototype
of this arrangement was the temple of Athena Aiea at Tegea, which Hadrian is known to
have visited just before the erection of the temple of Venus and Rome.
2 Cf. also PBS ii. 37, pl. 64 b; iv. 234, n. 7; HF 1146, 1412; SScR 225-226. The
figure of the Dea Roma in the relief of the Haterii may be an allusion to this temple (see
Arcus Titi). For Gorgoneia which may belong to its decoration, see HF 11, 14, 30.
VENUS VERTICORDIA
peribolus. The two cellae ended in apses placed back to back ; but as
the side walls of the cellae were prolonged so as to meet, the external
appearance was that of one long rectangular building.
This temple was decastyle, of the Corinthian order, and pseudo-
dipteral (Cohen, Hadr. 1420-3,1 Pius 698-703, 1074-6; BC 1903, 19), the
columns of the peristyle being of white marble about 1.8 metres in
diameter. The cellae were narrower than the fagade, and each pronaos
had only four columns between the antae. The building was constructed
of brick-faced concrete, and entirely covered with marble. Within
the cellae, on each side, were rows of porphyry columns supporting an
entablature. In the apses were five niches, alternately square and
semicircular, with columns and entablatures in front of them. In the
central niche of each apse was the statue of the goddess herself—Venus
in one and Roma in the other. Within the precincts of the temple were
silver statues of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, and an altar on which
sacrifice was made by newly married couples (Cass. Dio lxxi. 31), a statue
of Minerva (Serv. Aen. ii. 227), and doubtless many more (Hist. Aug.
trig. tyr. 32).
A single staircase, between the apses on the south side, led to the
roof of the temple (NA 1910, 631-638; RA 131-132, 213-215), which
was covered with gilt tiles. A part of the west front of the temple, with
its sculptured pediment, is represented on two fragments of a relief, now
in the Lateran and Museo delle Terme (MD 3519 ; Benndorf-Schoene,
Lateran 20 ; S. Sculp. 238-240 ; Mitt. 1895, 248 ; PT 227-228 ; see
Pantheon),2 which shows that on this west pediment were reliefs of Mars
visiting Rhea Silvia and of the she-wolf suckling the twins. Most of
the west cella has been destroyed ; the apse and part of the east cella
still stand in ruins, with many fragments of the columns of peristyle
and peribolus (see DAP 2. xv. 368, and LS i. passim; ii. 220-222, for
particulars of building materials quarried on its site). This temple with
its enormous peribolus falls into the same category of buildings as the
imperial fora, of which it formed a virtual continuation (HJ 17-20 ; Gilb.
iii. 136; HC 243-247; WR 293, 340; D’Esp. Mon. ii. 90-95; Fr. ii.
88-90; DR 185-190; RE Suppl. iv. 481-484; Mem. L. 5. xvii. 525;
ASA 73, 74 ; HFP 51-52 ; JRS 1925, 218, 219).
Venus Verticordia, aedes : a temple built in 114 b.c., in accordance with
instructions of the Sibylline books, to atone for a case of incest among
the Vestals and a prodigium that followed the acquittal of two at the
first trial (Obseq. 37 (97) ; Lydus de mens. iv. 15 ; Ov. Fast. iv. 157-160 ;
1 These coins show an isolated column with a statue (Hadrian and Sabina) on each side
of the temple ; and Thiersch maintains (Jahrb. d. Inst. 1913, 266-267) that the prototype
of this arrangement was the temple of Athena Aiea at Tegea, which Hadrian is known to
have visited just before the erection of the temple of Venus and Rome.
2 Cf. also PBS ii. 37, pl. 64 b; iv. 234, n. 7; HF 1146, 1412; SScR 225-226. The
figure of the Dea Roma in the relief of the Haterii may be an allusion to this temple (see
Arcus Titi). For Gorgoneia which may belong to its decoration, see HF 11, 14, 30.