DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0636
VESTA
558
in 14 it was threatened and the sacra removed (Cass. Dio liv. 24). In the
great fire of 64 a.d. it was burned, but soon restored, probably by Nero
(Tac. Ann. xv. 41 ; Hist. i. 43 ; cf. Cohen, Nero, n. 334, 335 ; BM.
Nero 101-106; cf. Introd, clxxv), and later in 191 (Herod, i. 14. 4: Cass.
Dio lxxii. 24), when it was restored by Julia Domna, the wife of Septimius
Severus. It is mentioned in the Regionary Catalogue (Reg. VIII), and
was closed by Theodosius in 394.
This temple is represented on coins dating from the end of the republic
(gens Cassia 60 b.c., Babeion i. 333, Nos. 8, 9 ; BM. Rep. i. 482. 3781-5)
to the restoration by Julia Domna (see a discussion of all these coins 1 by
Dressel, Zeitschrift f. Numismatik, 1900, 20-31; Mitt. 1892, 284-287;
1893, 285-286), and on fragmentary reliefs—one in the Uffizi at Florence
(catalogue No. 325 ; NS 1883, pl. xix. b ; DS fig. 2944, and freq.), another
in the Lateran in the fifteenth century, now lost, but known from a
drawing in the Destailleur collection (Mel. 1891, 136),2 and a third formerly
in the Villa Negroni, copied by Winckelmann, and now lost (NS 1883,
pl. xix. a).
The excavations of 1883 and 1899-1900 brought to light various
architectural fragments and the podium (NS 1883, 434-468 ; 1900,
159-191; NA Aug. 1900,437-456; BC 1900, 281-284; 1903,57-69;
CR 1899, 185; 1901, 139; Mitt. 1902, 88-92; Atti 525-530; for dis-
coveries in 1549, see LS ii. 203). This podium consists of four strata
of concrete with facings of opus incertum and brick. The lowest stratum
is a circular foundation set in the soil, 15.05 metres in diameter and
2.17 thick. On this rest the three others. On the east side and here
and there on the other sides of these strata are tufa blocks which were
the foundation of the marble steps. Almost in the centre of this podium
is a cavity of trapezoidal shape, extending to the bottom of the founda-
tion, a depth of 5 metres. The sides measure between 2.30 and 2.50
metres in length. This cavity, or favissa, was entered from the floor of
the cella, and may have been the receptacle of the stercus (Fest. 344 ;
AA 1899, 3) or ashes of the sacred fire which were removed once a year
and emptied out of the porta Stercoraria. Most of this foundation and
podium dates from Augustus (AJA 1912, 393), but the favissa belongs
to the early part of the principate of Domitian (ib. 413), and the highest
stratum to the time of Septimius Severus (ib. 426).
The coins of Augustus (Cohen, Aug. 250-251), probably struck towards
the end of Tiberius’ reign (BM. Tib. 142 ; cf. Introd, cxxxii, cxxxix ;
Num. Chron. 1917, 258, for dating), represent a round structure with a
conical roof (of bronze, according to Pliny NH xxxiv. 13), standing on a
base of three steps, with columns surmounted by Ionic capitals as is also
1 Special attention may be called to the restoration of Republican coins by Trajan
(Babeion ii. 573, 574, Nos. 11, 12) ; for coins of Vespasian and Domitian, see NS 1900, 168.
2 Cf. Mitt. 1892, 285. It was also drawn by Giuliano da Sangallo (Barb. 66) and by
Dosio (Berol. f. 4, No. 10 ; cf. Mitt. 1893, 286 ; Ausonia, vii. 80). It has often been
identified with the Uffizi relief, but wrongly.
558
in 14 it was threatened and the sacra removed (Cass. Dio liv. 24). In the
great fire of 64 a.d. it was burned, but soon restored, probably by Nero
(Tac. Ann. xv. 41 ; Hist. i. 43 ; cf. Cohen, Nero, n. 334, 335 ; BM.
Nero 101-106; cf. Introd, clxxv), and later in 191 (Herod, i. 14. 4: Cass.
Dio lxxii. 24), when it was restored by Julia Domna, the wife of Septimius
Severus. It is mentioned in the Regionary Catalogue (Reg. VIII), and
was closed by Theodosius in 394.
This temple is represented on coins dating from the end of the republic
(gens Cassia 60 b.c., Babeion i. 333, Nos. 8, 9 ; BM. Rep. i. 482. 3781-5)
to the restoration by Julia Domna (see a discussion of all these coins 1 by
Dressel, Zeitschrift f. Numismatik, 1900, 20-31; Mitt. 1892, 284-287;
1893, 285-286), and on fragmentary reliefs—one in the Uffizi at Florence
(catalogue No. 325 ; NS 1883, pl. xix. b ; DS fig. 2944, and freq.), another
in the Lateran in the fifteenth century, now lost, but known from a
drawing in the Destailleur collection (Mel. 1891, 136),2 and a third formerly
in the Villa Negroni, copied by Winckelmann, and now lost (NS 1883,
pl. xix. a).
The excavations of 1883 and 1899-1900 brought to light various
architectural fragments and the podium (NS 1883, 434-468 ; 1900,
159-191; NA Aug. 1900,437-456; BC 1900, 281-284; 1903,57-69;
CR 1899, 185; 1901, 139; Mitt. 1902, 88-92; Atti 525-530; for dis-
coveries in 1549, see LS ii. 203). This podium consists of four strata
of concrete with facings of opus incertum and brick. The lowest stratum
is a circular foundation set in the soil, 15.05 metres in diameter and
2.17 thick. On this rest the three others. On the east side and here
and there on the other sides of these strata are tufa blocks which were
the foundation of the marble steps. Almost in the centre of this podium
is a cavity of trapezoidal shape, extending to the bottom of the founda-
tion, a depth of 5 metres. The sides measure between 2.30 and 2.50
metres in length. This cavity, or favissa, was entered from the floor of
the cella, and may have been the receptacle of the stercus (Fest. 344 ;
AA 1899, 3) or ashes of the sacred fire which were removed once a year
and emptied out of the porta Stercoraria. Most of this foundation and
podium dates from Augustus (AJA 1912, 393), but the favissa belongs
to the early part of the principate of Domitian (ib. 413), and the highest
stratum to the time of Septimius Severus (ib. 426).
The coins of Augustus (Cohen, Aug. 250-251), probably struck towards
the end of Tiberius’ reign (BM. Tib. 142 ; cf. Introd, cxxxii, cxxxix ;
Num. Chron. 1917, 258, for dating), represent a round structure with a
conical roof (of bronze, according to Pliny NH xxxiv. 13), standing on a
base of three steps, with columns surmounted by Ionic capitals as is also
1 Special attention may be called to the restoration of Republican coins by Trajan
(Babeion ii. 573, 574, Nos. 11, 12) ; for coins of Vespasian and Domitian, see NS 1900, 168.
2 Cf. Mitt. 1892, 285. It was also drawn by Giuliano da Sangallo (Barb. 66) and by
Dosio (Berol. f. 4, No. 10 ; cf. Mitt. 1893, 286 ; Ausonia, vii. 80). It has often been
identified with the Uffizi relief, but wrongly.