DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24719#0117
THE TEMPLE OF PORTUMNUS AT OSTIA.
95
Monica fell sick and died, May 4th, 367, at the age of fifty-two years. Her body remained
at Ostia until the year 1430, when it was conveyed to Home during the pontificate of
Martin Y.
A Bull of Benedict VIII., A.D. 1019, and another of Leo IX., A.D. 1049, given by
IJghelli,1 * give to the quarter of the town where the temple is situated the name of Civitas
Cons tan tin kin a. It is still well preserved in the present day, and is separated from the enclosure
of the port by a gateway, formerly fortified, which is still called VArco della Madonna.
It was the strongest part of the town, yet it was not able to resist Genserie, who took
the town A.D. 537. Ostia was occupied by Theodoric, in hope of starving out Home, which
obtained its supplies from this port. Procopius gives an account of the events that then took
place.3 The Gothic king, ambitious of great projects, restored the town and improved the
entrance of the harbour by the erection of a pier. The Christian religion now flourished
without hindrance in Ostia; but soon after the expedition of Belisarius, the Goths wrere
expelled, and the town relapsed into the hands of the Homan emperors. Prom the 9th
century Ostia began to fall into ruins; the churches were abandoned, except that of St.
Ilippolytus. A town still exists hearing the name of this saint, and its basilica, erected in
the 8th century, was dedicated to him. Leo IY. made many presents to the churches of
Ostia, especially to those of St. Ilippolytus and St. Nimfa, the ruins of which are not now to
be found.
Pope Benedict VIII., who had been bishop of Ostia, issued a bull in favour of the church
of this town. In this deed, which bears the date A.D. 1019,3 mention is made of several
churches; that of St. Ilippolytus was the cathedral, and was situated on the island in the Tiber;
all the other churches—-those, of Sta Maria, San Georgio, and San Lorenzo—-were then in a
ruinous state : — “ Cernnntur et gentilium templornm vestigia et Cliristianorum ecclesiarum
cadavera.” The church of St. Peter and St. Paul is mentioned as being in that part of the
town called Civitas Constantiniana. This is the circular church, originally a temple dedicated
to the god Portumnus, the ruins of which still'remain.
Nibby, in his description of Ostia,4 expresses himself in these terms:-—-“In the bulls of
Benedict VIII. and of Leo IX. mention is made of a ruined church dedicated to the Apostles
Peter and Paul, existing in the city of Constantine. It is more than probable that, like
other temples, that of Portumnus was converted into a church, and was dedicated to the
Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. All this quarter of the town was devoted to religious
establishments, and had fortifications round it, the gate of which is named the Arch of our
Lady. Within it stood a monastery.”
Notwithstanding its ruined and abandoned state, the temple of Portumnus merits the
attention of archaeologists, as circular temples are amongst the most rare edifices that have
come down to us from ancient times. The cello, is built of bricks and concrete, and to this
fact is owing its preservation. (See Plates VIII. and IX.) The interior, which is 48 ft. 2 in.
in diameter, was decorated by eight large niches, alternately square and circular. Between
each niche was a column standing out from the Avail; so that there were eight columns
supporting the entablature. The heights- of the various members of the order are given by the
holes in the brickwork from which they have been torn. The circular part of the niches is
formed of porous tufa; the walls were lined Avith slabs of marble, and the niches ornamented
with painted stucco. Above the interior entablature may be seen the springing of a spherical
vault, which covered the temple, and which was decorated by eight projecting ribs, between
which had been garlands in stucco. The lower part of the vault is of brickwork, the rest is
composed of a mass of cement and light porous tufa. This vault appears to have been formed
all at once, like the domes of the Byzantines, which we have mentioned in the Introduction.
The exterior of the temple has been robbed of its ornaments. We see from the marks
on the wall, that it has had a circular peristyle. One column of Cipoline marble is still lying
near, and many fragments of the entablature are scattered in the neighbourhood. The peristyle
had seven Corinthian columns and an entablature of white marble: it was united to the main
building by a small brick vault running round the edifice, a mode of construction that
indicates the second period of the Homan empire. The cella rests upon a basement 10 ft. 6 in.
1 Italia sacra, vol. I. 2 De Bello goth,, book i. cli. 26. 4 Della Via Portuense e dell’ anlica Gitta de Porto. Roma,
3 Uglielli, Italia sacra, vol. i. p. 134. 1827. 8vo. p. 89.
95
Monica fell sick and died, May 4th, 367, at the age of fifty-two years. Her body remained
at Ostia until the year 1430, when it was conveyed to Home during the pontificate of
Martin Y.
A Bull of Benedict VIII., A.D. 1019, and another of Leo IX., A.D. 1049, given by
IJghelli,1 * give to the quarter of the town where the temple is situated the name of Civitas
Cons tan tin kin a. It is still well preserved in the present day, and is separated from the enclosure
of the port by a gateway, formerly fortified, which is still called VArco della Madonna.
It was the strongest part of the town, yet it was not able to resist Genserie, who took
the town A.D. 537. Ostia was occupied by Theodoric, in hope of starving out Home, which
obtained its supplies from this port. Procopius gives an account of the events that then took
place.3 The Gothic king, ambitious of great projects, restored the town and improved the
entrance of the harbour by the erection of a pier. The Christian religion now flourished
without hindrance in Ostia; but soon after the expedition of Belisarius, the Goths wrere
expelled, and the town relapsed into the hands of the Homan emperors. Prom the 9th
century Ostia began to fall into ruins; the churches were abandoned, except that of St.
Ilippolytus. A town still exists hearing the name of this saint, and its basilica, erected in
the 8th century, was dedicated to him. Leo IY. made many presents to the churches of
Ostia, especially to those of St. Ilippolytus and St. Nimfa, the ruins of which are not now to
be found.
Pope Benedict VIII., who had been bishop of Ostia, issued a bull in favour of the church
of this town. In this deed, which bears the date A.D. 1019,3 mention is made of several
churches; that of St. Ilippolytus was the cathedral, and was situated on the island in the Tiber;
all the other churches—-those, of Sta Maria, San Georgio, and San Lorenzo—-were then in a
ruinous state : — “ Cernnntur et gentilium templornm vestigia et Cliristianorum ecclesiarum
cadavera.” The church of St. Peter and St. Paul is mentioned as being in that part of the
town called Civitas Constantiniana. This is the circular church, originally a temple dedicated
to the god Portumnus, the ruins of which still'remain.
Nibby, in his description of Ostia,4 expresses himself in these terms:-—-“In the bulls of
Benedict VIII. and of Leo IX. mention is made of a ruined church dedicated to the Apostles
Peter and Paul, existing in the city of Constantine. It is more than probable that, like
other temples, that of Portumnus was converted into a church, and was dedicated to the
Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. All this quarter of the town was devoted to religious
establishments, and had fortifications round it, the gate of which is named the Arch of our
Lady. Within it stood a monastery.”
Notwithstanding its ruined and abandoned state, the temple of Portumnus merits the
attention of archaeologists, as circular temples are amongst the most rare edifices that have
come down to us from ancient times. The cello, is built of bricks and concrete, and to this
fact is owing its preservation. (See Plates VIII. and IX.) The interior, which is 48 ft. 2 in.
in diameter, was decorated by eight large niches, alternately square and circular. Between
each niche was a column standing out from the Avail; so that there were eight columns
supporting the entablature. The heights- of the various members of the order are given by the
holes in the brickwork from which they have been torn. The circular part of the niches is
formed of porous tufa; the walls were lined Avith slabs of marble, and the niches ornamented
with painted stucco. Above the interior entablature may be seen the springing of a spherical
vault, which covered the temple, and which was decorated by eight projecting ribs, between
which had been garlands in stucco. The lower part of the vault is of brickwork, the rest is
composed of a mass of cement and light porous tufa. This vault appears to have been formed
all at once, like the domes of the Byzantines, which we have mentioned in the Introduction.
The exterior of the temple has been robbed of its ornaments. We see from the marks
on the wall, that it has had a circular peristyle. One column of Cipoline marble is still lying
near, and many fragments of the entablature are scattered in the neighbourhood. The peristyle
had seven Corinthian columns and an entablature of white marble: it was united to the main
building by a small brick vault running round the edifice, a mode of construction that
indicates the second period of the Homan empire. The cella rests upon a basement 10 ft. 6 in.
1 Italia sacra, vol. I. 2 De Bello goth,, book i. cli. 26. 4 Della Via Portuense e dell’ anlica Gitta de Porto. Roma,
3 Uglielli, Italia sacra, vol. i. p. 134. 1827. 8vo. p. 89.