page_title: Roman temple
section_title: Substantial survivals
hierarchical_section_title: Roman temple / Substantial survivals
caption_attribution_description: Pompei 5058
context_page_description: Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in Roman culture, and some of the richest buildings in Roman architecture, though only a few survive in any sort of complete state. Today they remain "the most obvious symbol of Roman architecture". Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion, and all towns of any importance had at least one main temple, as well as smaller shrines. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was dedicated, and often a table for supplementary offerings or libations and a small altar for incense. Behind the cella was a room or rooms used by temple attendants for storage of equipment and offerings. The ordinary worshiper rarely entered the cella, and most public ceremonies were performed outside where the sacrificial altar was located, on the portico, with a crowd gathered in the temple precinct.
  The most common architectural plan had a rectangular temple raised on a high podium, with a clear front with a portico at the top of steps, and a triangular pediment above columns. The sides and rear of the building had much less architectural emphasis, and typically no entrances.
context_section_description: Most of the best survivals had been converted to churches (and sometimes later mosques), which some remain.  Often the porticos were walled in between the columns, and the original cella front and side walls largely removed to create a large single space in the interior.  Rural areas in the Islamic world have some good remains, which had been left largely undisturbed. In Spain some remarkable discoveries (Vic, Cordoba, Barcelona) were made in the 19th century when old buildings being reconstructed or demolished were found to contain major remains encased in later buildings. In Rome, Pula, and elsewhere some walls incorporated in later buildings have always been evident.  The squared-off blocks of temple walls have always been attractive for later builders to reuse, while the large pieces of massive columns were less easy to remove and make use of; hence the podium, minus facing, and some columns are often all that remain.  In most cases loose pieces of stone have been removed from the site, and some such as capitals may be found in local museums, along with non-architectural items excavated, such as terracotta votive statuettes or amulets, which are often found in large numbers.  Very little indeed survives in place from the significant quantities of large sculpture that originally decorated temples.
  Rome
  Pantheon or Temple to All The Gods, unique among Roman temples, but later much imitated. Easily the most impressive and complete interior to survive.
  Temple of Hercules Victor, early circular temple, largely complete
  Temple of Portunus or "Temple of Fortuna Virilis" – very complete Ionic exterior, near Santa Maria in Cosmedin and the Temple of Romulus
  Temple of Romulus – very complete circular exterior, early 4th century, Roman Forum
  Temple of Antoninus and Faustina – the core of the building survives as a church, including parts of the frieze, Roman Forum
  Temple of Hadrian – Campus Martius – a huge wall with 11 columns, now incorporated in a later building
  Temple of Vesta – small circular temple, part complete, Roman Forum
  Temple of Saturn – 8 impressive columns and architrave remain standing, west end of the Roman Forum
  Temple of Bellona (Ostia) – small back-street all-brick temple at the port.
  Elsewhere
  Palestrina, Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, (see above) a large complex leading to a small shrine
  Temple of Apollo (Pompeii), unusually, it is the smaller elements that are best preserved, and the surrounding forum
  Temple of Vesta – Tivoli, so-called, circular
  Capitolium of Brixia, Brescia, buried by a landslide and partly reconstructed
  Maison Carrée – Nîmes, Southern France, one of the most complete survivals
  Temple of Augustus and Livia – Vienne, France, exterior largely complete
  Temple of Augustus (Pula) – Pula, Croatia, largely complete (illustrated above); a large wall from another temple forms part of the town hall next door.
  Roman Temple of Évora – Évora, Portugal, impressive partial remains of a small temple; podium and columns, but no cella.
  Temple of Jupiter in Diocletian's Palace, Split, Croatia. Small but very complete, amid other Roman buildings, c. 300. Most unusually, the barrel ceiling is intact.
  Roman temple of Alcántara, Spain, tiny but complete
  Roman temple of Vic, Spain. Substantially rebuilt, after it was found covered by a castle.
  Roman temple of Córdoba, Spain. Base and 11 Corinthian columns, found inside later buildings.
  Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek, Lebanon, a famous exotic "Baroque" pilgrimage destination, very largely preserved, including the interior.
  Temples of Jupiter and Venus, Baalbek
  Temple of Artemis (Jerash), Jordan; partial remains of two other temples
  Sbeitla, Tunisia, three small temples in a row on the forum, many other city ruins.
  Dougga, Tunisia, several temples in extensive city ruins, two with substantial remains.
caption: The Temple of Apollo in Pompeii.  Mount Vesuvius is to the far left.
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