Shrine of Venus Cloacina
Encyclopedia
The Shrine of Venus Cloacina (Sacella Cloacinae or Sacrum Cloacina) — the "Shrine of Venus of the Sewer" — was a small sanctuary on the Roman Forum
, honoring the divinity of the Cloaca Maxima
, the spirit of the "Great Drain" or Sewer of Rome. Cloacina
, the Etruscan
goddess associated with the entrance to the sewer system, was later identified with the Roman goddess Venus
for unknown reasons.
in the early 2nd century BC. It was located in the Forum in front of the Tabernae Novae ("new shops") and on the Via Sacra
. The Tabernae Novae were replaced by the expanded Basilica Aemilia
in the middle Republic (179 BC), but the Shrine was preserved. The round masonry Shrine probably dates from this construction (or major remodeling).
Legend, however, ascribes the origin of the Shrine to the period of the Sabine
king Titus Tatius
(8th century BC), during the reign of Romulus
. It was also according to legend that the father of the virtuous Verginia
, a butcher in one of the stalls of the Tabernae Novae, came out and stabbed his daughter rather than let her fall victim to the lecherous attentions of Appius Claudius
in 449 BC. (This was said to have occurred on the future site of the Shrine.)
(ca. 42 BC) by a moneyer named Lucius Mussidius Longus give a fairly clear visual representation of the shrine. They show a round sacellum
(small, uncovered shrine) with a metal balustrade. The scant archaeological remains uncovered between 1899 and 1901 (round travertine
substructure, marble rim, diameter 2.40 meters) conform nicely to the pictures on the coins. In his Natural History (77-79 AD), Pliny the Elder
refers to signa Cloacinae, which were evidently the two statues shown on the coins and perhaps some other, unidentified objects. One of the statues is holding or waving an object (possibly a flower). Each statue has a low pillar with a bird on it (flowers and birds were well known attributes of Venus). It is not known why there are two statues.
Roman Forum
The 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...
, honoring the divinity of the Cloaca Maxima
Cloaca Maxima
The Cloaca Maxima is one of the world's earliest sewage systems. Constructed in Ancient Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove the waste of one of the world's most populous cities, it carried an effluent to the River Tiber, which ran beside the city....
, the spirit of the "Great Drain" or Sewer of Rome. Cloacina
Cloacina
In Roman mythology, Cloacina was the goddess who presided over the Cloaca Maxima , the main trunk of the system of sewers in Rome. She was originally derived from Etruscan mythology...
, the Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
goddess associated with the entrance to the sewer system, was later identified with the Roman goddess Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
for unknown reasons.
History and legend
The Etruscan deity Cloacina may well have been associated originally with the small brook that later became the city's Cloaca Maxima, but the Shrine of Venus Cloacina is first mentioned by the playwright PlautusPlautus
Titus Maccius Plautus , commonly known as "Plautus", was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest surviving intact works in Latin literature. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus...
in the early 2nd century BC. It was located in the Forum in front of the Tabernae Novae ("new shops") and on the Via Sacra
Via Sacra
The Via Sacra was the main street of ancient Rome, leading from the top of the Capitoline Hill, through some of the most important religious sites of the Forum , to the Colosseum....
. The Tabernae Novae were replaced by the expanded Basilica Aemilia
Basilica Aemilia
The Basilica Aemilia was a civil basilica in the Roman forum, in Rome, Italy. Today only the plan and some rebuilt elements can be seen. The Basilica was 100 meters long and about 30 meters wide...
in the middle Republic (179 BC), but the Shrine was preserved. The round masonry Shrine probably dates from this construction (or major remodeling).
Legend, however, ascribes the origin of the Shrine to the period of the Sabine
Sabine
The Sabines were an Italic tribe that lived in the central Appennines of ancient Italy, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome...
king Titus Tatius
Titus Tatius
The traditions of ancient Rome held that Titus Tatius was the Sabine king of Cures, who, after the rape of the Sabine women, attacked Rome and captured the Capitol with the treachery of Tarpeia. The Sabine women, however, convinced Tatius and the Roman king, Romulus, to reconcile and subsequently...
(8th century BC), during the reign of Romulus
Romulus
- People:* Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome* Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor* Valerius Romulus , deified son of the Roman emperor Maxentius* Romulus , son of the Western Roman emperor Anthemius...
. It was also according to legend that the father of the virtuous Verginia
Verginia
Verginia, or Virginia, was the subject of a story of Ancient Rome, related in Livy's Ab Urbe Condita.The people of Rome were already angry with the decemviri for not calling the proper elections, taking bribes, and other abuses. It seemed that they were returning to the rule of the Kings of Rome...
, a butcher in one of the stalls of the Tabernae Novae, came out and stabbed his daughter rather than let her fall victim to the lecherous attentions of Appius Claudius
Appius Claudius Crassus
Appius Claudius Crassus was a decemvir of the Roman Republic ca 451 BC.His father was Appius Claudius Sabinus, Consul in 471 BCE...
in 449 BC. (This was said to have occurred on the future site of the Shrine.)
Description
Coins minted during the Second TriumvirateSecond Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Octavius , Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony, formed on 26 November 43 BC with the enactment of the Lex Titia, the adoption of which marked the end of the Roman Republic...
(ca. 42 BC) by a moneyer named Lucius Mussidius Longus give a fairly clear visual representation of the shrine. They show a round sacellum
Sacellum
In ancient Roman religion, a sacellum is a small shrine. The word is a diminutive from sacer . The numerous sacella of ancient Rome included both shrines maintained on private properties by families, and public shrines...
(small, uncovered shrine) with a metal balustrade. The scant archaeological remains uncovered between 1899 and 1901 (round travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
substructure, marble rim, diameter 2.40 meters) conform nicely to the pictures on the coins. In his Natural History (77-79 AD), Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
refers to signa Cloacinae, which were evidently the two statues shown on the coins and perhaps some other, unidentified objects. One of the statues is holding or waving an object (possibly a flower). Each statue has a low pillar with a bird on it (flowers and birds were well known attributes of Venus). It is not known why there are two statues.
Worship
The Romans believed that a good sewage system was important for the future success of Rome, as a good sewer system was necessary for the physical health of Roman citizens. Additionally, Romans worshipped Cloacina as the goddess of purity and the goddess of filth. Cloacina’s name is probably derived the Latin verb cloare (“to purify” or “to clean”), or from cloaca (“sewer)”.External links
- Cloacina Sacrum at the Digital Roman Forum