Roman temple
Encyclopedia
Culture of ancient Rome
Ancient Roman culture existed throughout the almost 1200-year history of the civilization of Ancient Rome. The term refers to the culture of the Roman Republic, later the Roman Empire, which, at its peak, covered an area from Lowland Scotland and Morocco to the Euphrates.Life in ancient Rome...
, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion
Religion in ancient Rome
Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...
. The main room (cella) housed the cult
Cult (religious practice)
In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Cult in this primary sense is...
image of the deity to whom the temple was dedicated
Votum
In ancient Roman religion, a votum, plural vota, is a vow or promise made to a deity. The word comes from the past participle of the Latin verb voveo, vovere, "vow, promise." As the result of this verbal action, a votum is also that which fulfills a vow, that is, the thing promised, such as...
, and often a small altar for incense or libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
s. Behind the cella was a room or rooms used by temple attendants for storage of equipment and offerings.
The English word "temple" derives from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
templum, which was originally not the building itself, but a sacred space surveyed and plotted ritually. The Roman architect Vitruvius
Vitruvius
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman writer, architect and engineer, active in the 1st century BC. He is best known as the author of the multi-volume work De Architectura ....
always uses the word templum to refer to the sacred precinct, and not to the building. The more common Latin words for a temple or shrine were aedes, delubrum, and fanum (in this article, the English word "temple" refers to any of these buildings, and the Latin templum to the sacred precinct).
Public religious ceremonies took place outdoors, and not within the temple building. Some ceremonies were processions that started at, visited, or ended with a temple or shrine, where a ritual object might be stored and brought out for use, or where an offering would be deposited. Sacrifices, chiefly of animals
Animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
, would take place at an open-air altar within the templum.
Origins and development
The Roman temple architecture style was derived from the Etruscan model, an indigenous Italian race which was at its peak in the seventh century BC. In turn, the Etruscans had adopted other styles into their temples, of which Greek architecture was the main influence. Therefore Roman temples were distinct but also based on both Etruscan and Greek plans.Roman temples emphasised the front of the building, which consisted of a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
with columns, a pronaos. This departs from the Greek model of having equal emphasis all around the temple, where it could be viewed and approached from all directions.
Within the city of Rome
- Temple to All the Gods, known as the PantheonPantheon, RomeThe Pantheon ,Rarely Pantheum. This appears in Pliny's Natural History in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.from ,...
- Campus MartiusCampus MartiusThe Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome... - Temple of Antoninus and FaustinaTemple of Antoninus and FaustinaThe Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is an ancient Roman temple in Rome, adapted to the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda. It stands in the Forum Romanum, on the Via Sacra, opposite the Regia.-The temple:...
- Roman ForumRoman ForumThe Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum... - Temple of Apollo PalatinusTemple of Apollo PalatinusThe Temple of Apollo Palatinus was a temple on the Palatine Hill of ancient Rome, which was first dedicated by Augustus to his patron god Apollo. It was only the second temple in Rome dedicated to the god, after the Temple of Apollo Sosianus...
- Palatine HillPalatine HillThe Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city... - Temple of Apollo SosianusTemple of Apollo SosianusThe Temple of Apollo Sosianus is a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo in the Campus Martius, next to the Theatre of Marcellus and the Porticus Octaviae, in Rome, Italy...
- Near the Theater of Marcellus - Temple of Bellona (Rome)Temple of Bellona (Rome)The temple of Bellona was an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Bellona and sited next to the Temple of Apollo Sosianus and the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome.-History:...
- Near the Theater of Marcellus - Temple of Bona Dea - Aventine HillAventine HillThe Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the twelfth rione, or ward, of Rome.-Location and boundaries:The Aventine hill is the southernmost of Rome's seven hills...
- Temple of CaesarTemple of CaesarThe Temple of Caesar or Temple of Divus Iulius also known as Temple of the Deified Julius Caesar, delubrum, heroon or Temple of the Comet Star, is an ancient structure in the Roman Forum of Rome, Italy, located near the Regia and the Temple of Vesta.-History:It was begun by...
- Roman Forum - Temple of Castor and PolluxTemple of Castor and PolluxThe Temple of Castor and Pollux is an ancient edifice in the Roman Forum, Rome, central Italy. It was originally built in gratitude for victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus . Castor and Pollux were the Dioscuri, the "twins" of Gemini, the twin sons of Zeus and Leda...
- In the Roman Forum - Temple of ConcordTemple of ConcordThe Temple of Concord in the ancient city of Rome was a temple dedicated to the Roman goddess Concordia at the western end of the Roman Forum. The temple was built in the 4th century BC as a promise towards peace after a long period of civil strife within the city...
- Roman Forum at the base of the Capitoline - Temple of Cybele (Magna Mater) - Palatine Hill
- Temple of DianaTemple of Diana (Rome)The Temple of Diana in ancient Rome was a Roman temple which, according to the early semi-legendary history of Rome, was built in the 6th century BC during the reign of the king Servius Tullius....
- Aventine Hill - Temple of Divus AugustusTemple of Divus AugustusThe Temple of Divus Augustus was a major temple originally built to commemorate the deified first Roman emperor, Augustus. It was built between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, behind the Basilica Julia, on the site of the house that Augustus had inhabited before he entered public life in the...
behind Basilica JuliaBasilica JuliaThe Basilica Julia , is a structure that once stood in the Roman Forum. It was a large, ornate, public building used for meetings and other official business during the early Roman Empire. Its ruins have been excavated... - Temple of HadrianTemple of HadrianThe Temple of Hadrian is a temple to the deified Hadrian on the Campus Martius in Rome, Italy, built by his adoptive son and successor Antoninus Pius in 145 and now incorporated into a later building in the Piazza di Pietra...
- Campus MartiusCampus MartiusThe Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome...
(Built into Chamber of Commerce building) - Temple of Hercules VictorTemple of Hercules VictorThe Temple of Hercules Victor or Hercules Olivarius is an ancient edifice located in the Forum Boarium close to the Tiber in Rome. It is a monopteros, a round temple of Greek 'peripteral' design completely encircled by a colonnade...
- Temple of Isis and Serapis - Campus MartiusCampus MartiusThe Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome...
- Temple of Janus (Roman Forum)
- Temple of Janus (Forum Holitorium)Temple of Janus (Forum Holitorium)Temple of Janus , temple to the Roman god Janus in the Forum Holitorium, Rome.-Construction:It was built by C. Duilius after the victory at the battle of Mylae...
- Temple of Juno Moneta - Capitoline Hill
- Temple of Jupiter (Capitoline Hill) - Capitoline Hill (under Palazzo Conservatori)
- Temple of Mars Ultor - Forum of AugustusForum of AugustusThe Forum of Augustus is one of the Imperial forums of Rome, Italy, built by Augustus. It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor.-History:The triumvir Octavian vowed to build a temple honoring Mars, the Roman God of War, during the battle of Philippi in 42 BC...
- NymphaeumTemple of Minerva Medica (nymphaeum)The nymphaeum called the Temple of Minerva Medica is a ruin of late Imperial Rome, between the via Labicana and Aurelian Walls and just inside the line of the Anio Vetus. Once part of the Horti Liciniani on the Esquiline Hill, it now faces the modern Via Giolitti...
often called (erroneously) a Temple of Minerva Medica, formerly in the Forum Transitorum - Temple of Minerva MedicaTemple of Minerva MedicaThe temple of Minerva Medica was a temple in ancient Rome, built on the Esquiline Hill in the Republican era, though no remains of it have been found...
, named in literary sources but no longer extant - Temple of Peace - Forum of Peace (now mostly covered by Via dei Fori ImperialiVia dei Fori ImperialiThe Via dei Fori Imperiali is a road in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, that runs in a straight line from the Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum....
) - Temple of PortunusTemple of PortunusThe Temple of Portunus is an ancient building in Rome, Italy, the main temple dedicated to the god Portunus in the city. It is in the Ionic order and is still more familiar by its erroneous designation, the Temple of Fortuna Virilis given it by antiquaries...
- Near Santa Maria in CosmedinSanta Maria in CosmedinThe Basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin is a minor basilica church in Rome, Italy. It is located in the rione of Ripa.- History :The church was built in the 8th century during the Byzantine Papacy over the remains of the Templum Herculis Pompeiani in the Forum Boarium and of the Statio annonae, one... - Temple of Romulus - Roman Forum
- Temple of SaturnTemple of SaturnThe Temple of Saturn is a monument to the agricultural deity. The Temple of Saturn stands at the foot of the Capitoline Hill in the western end of the Forum Romanum in Rome, Italy.-Archaeology:...
- West end of the Roman Forum - Temple of Siriaco - Janiculum Hill
- Temple of Venus and RomaTemple of Venus and RomaThe Temple of Venus and of Rome — in Latin, Templum Veneris et Romae — is thought to have been the largest temple in Ancient Rome. Located on the Velian Hill, between the eastern edge of the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum, it was dedicated to the goddesses Venus Felix and Roma Aeterna...
- Northeast corner of the Roman Forum - Temple of Venus GenetrixTemple of Venus GenetrixThe Temple of Venus Genetrix is a ruined temple in the Forum of Caesar, Rome, dedicated to the Roman goddess Venus Genetrix, the goddess of motherhood and domesticity...
- Forum of CaesarForum of CaesarThe Forum of Caesar, also known as Forum Iulium or Forum Julium, Forum Caesaris, is a forum built by Julius Caesar near the Forum Romanum in Rome in 46 BC.-Construction:... - Temple of Vespasian and TitusTemple of Vespasian and TitusThe Temple of Vespasian and Titus is located in Rome at the western end of the Roman Forum between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Saturn. It is dedicated to the deified Vespasian and his son, the deified Titus. It was begun by Titus in 79 after Vespasian's death and Titus's succession...
- Temple of VestaTemple of VestaThe Temple of Vesta is an ancient edifice in Rome, Italy, located in the Roman Forum near the Regia and the House of the Vestal Virgins. The temple's most recognizable feature is its circular footprint. Since the worship of Vesta began in private homes, the architecture seems to be a reminder of...
- Roman Forum - Temple of VeiovisTemple of VeiovisThe Temple of Veiovis in ancient Rome was the temple of the god Veiovis.-In literature:The temple was sited in the saddle of ground "inter duos lucos", between two sacred groves, one on the Arx and one on the Capitolium . The statue of the god stood next to a statue of a goat...
- Capitoline Hill (Basement of Palazzo Senatorio)
Italian peninsula
- Temple of Apollo (Pompeii)Temple of Apollo (Pompeii)The Temple of Apollo is a temple dedicated to the Greek and Roman god Apollo in the ancient Roman town of Pompeii, southern Italy.Facing the north side of the town's basilica, it is the town's most important religious building and has very ancient origins...
- Temple of Bellona (Ostia)Temple of Bellona (Ostia)The temple of Bellona is a temple or sacellum dedicated to the Italic goddess Bellona in Ostia Antica....
- Temple of VestaTemple of Vesta, TivoliThe "Temple of Vesta" is a Roman temple in Tivoli, Italy, dating to the early 1st century BC. Its ruins sit on the acropolis of the city, overlooking the falls of the Aniene that are now included in the Villa Gregoriana....
- TivoliTivoli, ItalyTivoli , the classical Tibur, is an ancient Italian town in Lazio, about 30 km east-north-east of Rome, at the falls of the Aniene river where it issues from the Sabine hills...
Europe
- Temple of Claudius, ColchesterTemple of Claudius, Colchester]]The Temple of Claudius or Temple of the Deified Claudius built in Camulodunum sometime after the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43, although it is not certain whether it was built before or after Claudius' death and deification in AD 54.In AD 60 or 61, during Boudica's uprising, Camulodunum ...
, England, - Arthur's O'on, StenhousemuirStenhousemuirStenhousemuir is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley within the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in the west. The villages of Carron and Carronshore adjoin Stenhousemuir to the east but...
, Scotland - Pagans Hill Roman TemplePagans Hill Roman TempleThe Pagans Hill Roman Temple was a Romano-British-style temple excavated on Pagans Hill at Chew Stoke in the English county of Somerset.-Excavations:...
, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England - Roman Baths (Bath) and Temple of SulisSulisIn localised Celtic polytheism practised in Britain, Sulis was a deity worshipped at the thermal spring of Bath . She was worshipped by the Romano-British as Sulis Minerva, whose votive objects and inscribed lead tablets suggest that she was conceived of both as a nourishing, life-giving mother...
Minerva, Bath, Somerset, England - London Mithraeum, LondiniumLondiniumThe city of London was established by the Romans around AD 43. It served as a major imperial commercial centre until its abandonment during the 5th century.-Origins and language:...
, modern London - Temple of Augustus (Pula)Temple of Augustus (Pula)The Temple of Augustus is a well-preserved Roman temple in the city of Pula, Croatia . Dedicated to the first Roman emperor, Augustus, it was probably built during the emperor's lifetime at some point between 2 BC and his death in AD 14...
- PulaPulaPula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... - Temple of Augustus in AncyraMonumentum AncyranumThe name Monumentum Ancyranum refers to the Temple of Augustus and Rome in Ancyra , or to the inscription Res Gestae Divi Augusti, a text recounting the deeds of the first Roman emperor Augustus, the most intact copy of which is preserved on the walls of this temple.The temple was built between 25...
- AnkaraAnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey - Roman Temple of ÉvoraRoman Temple of ÉvoraThe Roman Temple of Évora is an ancient edifice in the city of Évora, Portugal. The temple is part of the historical centre of the city, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO...
- ÉvoraÉvoraÉvora is a municipality in Portugal. It has total area of with a population of 55,619 inhabitants. It is the seat of the Évora District and capital of the Alentejo region. The municipality is composed of 19 civil parishes, and is located in Évora District....
, Portugal - Temple of Augustus in BarcelonaTemple of Augustus in BarcelonaThe Temple of Augustus in Barcelona was a Roman temple built during the Imperial period in the colony of Barcino as a place of worship for Emperor Augustus. It was the central building on Tàber Hill, currently in Carrer del Paradís number 10, in the city's so-called Gothic Quarter...
- BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain - Roman temple of AlcántaraRoman temple of AlcántaraThe Roman temple of Alcántara is located at one side of the Alcántara Bridge, Cáceres, Extremadura . Along with the Roman temple of Vic, it is one of the only two Roman temples preserved nearly complete in Spain.- History :...
, Spain - Roman temple of VicRoman temple of VicRoman Temple of Vic is located in the uptown area of Vic , in the heart of Osona, Catalonia .-History:The building was built in the early 2nd century, the golden age of the Roman Empire. The temples were a basic part of every Roman city, yet it unknow the whereabouts of this one in particular until...
, Spain - Roman temple of CórdobaRoman temple of CórdobaThe Spanish city of Córdoba has the remains of a Roman temple, which was discovered in the 1950s during the expansion of City Hall. It is located in the angle formed by the streets Claudio Marcelo and Capitulares. It was not the only temple that had the city, but it was possibly the most important...
, Spain - Maison CarréeMaison CarréeThe Maison Carrée is an ancient building in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best preserved temples to be found anywhere in the territory of the former Roman Empire.- History :...
- NîmesNîmesNîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, Southern France - Temple of Augusta and Livia - VienneVienne, IsèreVienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located south of Lyon, on the Rhône River. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was of 29,400 as of the 2001 census....
, France
Africa and the Near East
- Temple of BacchusTemple of BacchusThe Temple of Bacchus was one of the three main temples at a large complex in Classical Antiquity, at Baalbek in Lebanon. The temple was dedicated to Bacchus , the Roman god of wine, but was traditionally referred to by Neoclassical visitors as the "Temple of the Sun". It is considered one of the...
- BaalbekBaalbekBaalbek is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, altitude , situated east of the Litani River. It is famous for its exquisitely detailed yet monumentally scaled temple ruins of the Roman period, when Baalbek, then known as Heliopolis, was one of the largest sanctuaries in the Empire...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... - Temple of Artemis (Jerash)
- Donuktas Roman Temple - TarsusTarsus (city)Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
http://www.saintpaultarsus.com/html/donuktas_roman_temple.html - Umayyad MosqueUmayyad MosqueThe Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus or formerly the Basilica of Saint John the Baptist , is located in the old city of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world...
, DamascusDamascusDamascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.... - Ain HarchaAin HarchaAin Harcha is a village situated in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon. It is located east of Mount Hermon close to the Syrian border south of Dahr El Ahmar.The village sits ca...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... - Kfar QouqKfar QouqKfar Qouq is a village in Lebanon, situated in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate. It is located in an intermontane basin near Mount Hermon near the Syrian border, approximately halfway between Jezzine and Damascus.The population of the hillside village is predominantly Druze...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... - AaihaAaihaAaiha is a village, plain, lake and temporary wetland situated in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon. It is located in an intermontane basin near Mount Hermon and the Syrian border, approximately halfway between Rashaya and Kfar Qouq.The village sits ca. above sea...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... - Deir El AachayerDeir El AachayerDeir El Aachayer is a village north of Rashaya, in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.The municipality is located on the border frontier of the Kaza of Rashaya, one of eight mohafazats . It sits at a height of above sea level an its surface area covers hectares....
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... - YantaYanta (village)Yanta is a village situated in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon, from Beirut. It is located close to the Syrian border north of Kfar Qouq....
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
See also
- Classical orders
- Greek templeGreek templeGreek temples were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in Greek paganism. The temples themselves did usually not directly serve a cult purpose, since the sacrifices and rituals dedicated to the respective deity took place outside them...
- TempleTempleA temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
for other religious traditions - List of Greco-Roman roofs
- Architecture of ancient Rome
Sources and external links
- Temple of Hadrian, Rome Quicktime VR
- The Pantheon, Rome Quicktime VR
- Garden Shed Converted into a Roman Temple