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Temple Of Roma And Augustus II [Pula - 21 August 2013]
The Temple of Augustus is a well preserved Roman temple in the city of Pula, Croatia (known in Roman times as Pola). 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. It was built on a podium with atetrastyle prostyle porch of Corinthian columns and measures about 8 m (26 ft) by 17,3 m (57 ft). The richly decorated frieze is similar to that of a somewhat larger and older temple, the Maison Carrée in Nimes, France.
The temple was part of a triad of temples. The temple of Augustus stood on the left side of the central temple while a similar temple, dedicated to the goddess Diana, stood on the other side of the main temple. Althought the larger central temple has not survived, the whole back side of the Temple of Diana is still clearly visible due to its incorporation into the comunal Palace, built in 1296.
Under Byzantine rule, the temple was converted into a church, accounting for its survival to modern times, and was later used as a granary. It was struck by a bomb during an Allied air raid in 1944, resulting in its almost total destruction. It was the reconstructed in 1947. It is today used as a lapidarium to display items of Roman sculpture.
The temple's dedication originally consisted of bronze letters attached to the porch. Only the attachment holes now remain and much of the text has been destroyed over time. However we know it consisted of a standard dedication also found on other Augustan temples, and it read:
"ROMAE ET AUGUSTO CAESARI DIVI F PATRI PATRIAE" - Roma and Augustus Caesar, son of the deity, father of the fatherland
This dedication indicates that the temple was originally also co-dedicated to the goddess Roma, the personification of the city of Rome. Unlike other temples, such as the Temple of Divius Augustus in Rome, the temple was not dedicated to divus (the deified) Augustus - a title only given to the emperor after his death. This, and the temple's architectural style, have allowed archaeologists to date the temple to the late Augustan period, prior to Augustus' death in AD 14.
Temple Of Roma And Augustus II [Pula - 21 August 2013]
The Temple of Augustus is a well preserved Roman temple in the city of Pula, Croatia (known in Roman times as Pola). 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. It was built on a podium with atetrastyle prostyle porch of Corinthian columns and measures about 8 m (26 ft) by 17,3 m (57 ft). The richly decorated frieze is similar to that of a somewhat larger and older temple, the Maison Carrée in Nimes, France.
The temple was part of a triad of temples. The temple of Augustus stood on the left side of the central temple while a similar temple, dedicated to the goddess Diana, stood on the other side of the main temple. Althought the larger central temple has not survived, the whole back side of the Temple of Diana is still clearly visible due to its incorporation into the comunal Palace, built in 1296.
Under Byzantine rule, the temple was converted into a church, accounting for its survival to modern times, and was later used as a granary. It was struck by a bomb during an Allied air raid in 1944, resulting in its almost total destruction. It was the reconstructed in 1947. It is today used as a lapidarium to display items of Roman sculpture.
The temple's dedication originally consisted of bronze letters attached to the porch. Only the attachment holes now remain and much of the text has been destroyed over time. However we know it consisted of a standard dedication also found on other Augustan temples, and it read:
"ROMAE ET AUGUSTO CAESARI DIVI F PATRI PATRIAE" - Roma and Augustus Caesar, son of the deity, father of the fatherland
This dedication indicates that the temple was originally also co-dedicated to the goddess Roma, the personification of the city of Rome. Unlike other temples, such as the Temple of Divius Augustus in Rome, the temple was not dedicated to divus (the deified) Augustus - a title only given to the emperor after his death. This, and the temple's architectural style, have allowed archaeologists to date the temple to the late Augustan period, prior to Augustus' death in AD 14.