erected by Hadrian in 134 A.D. It was the largest and most sumptuous
in Rome. It was designed by Hadrian himself, who sent the drawings to
the celebrated architect Apollodorus, whom he had banished, to ask his
opinion. He replied, "That Hadrian ought to have made it more lofty,
and with subterraneous accommodation for receiving, as occasion might
require, the machinery of the theatre, and for giving it a more
imposing aspect towards the Via Sacra. That as to the statues, they
were so disproportionate, that if the goddesses desired to get up and
walk out, they would not be able" (Dion Cassius; Xiphilinus,
"Hadrian").
For this criticism Apollodorus lost his head; and we learn that the
temple was _not_ on a lofty platform, that there were _no_
subterranean chambers, and that it was _not_ imposing towards the Via
Sacra. The front was towards the Forum of Peace. What is now the back
of the church, in a stone-cutter's yard, was originally the front of
the temple. It is mentioned by Prudentius as being in the vicinity of
the Via Sacra.
"The Sacred Way resounded (_they say_) with lowings before the shrine
of Rome; for she also herself is worshipped with blood after the
fashion of a goddess, and the name of the place (_Rome_) is regarded
as a divinity. The temples also of the city and of Venus rise with a
like roof; and at one and the same time frankincense is consumed to
the twin-gods."
It could not have faced the Via Sacra, or Maxentius would not have
built the temple of his son against it, 311 A.D.
The bronze doors of the Round Temple were found at Perugia by Urban
VIII. The two columns of porphyry, with the cornice, are supposed to
have been found amongst the ruins when it was turned into a church. On
the right side of the present church is a piece of wall of Gabii tufa
stone of _opus quadratum_. At the back of the church is the brick
front wall of the temple, on which the celebrated _Pianta Capitolina_
was originally attached (see page 185) by means of cement and cramps,
and which was found below the soil under the wall, having been thrown
down by an earthquake.
Suetonius tells us that Nero's colossus stood in the vestibule of his
palace.
Martial says, "It was removed by Vespasian, when he built the Temple
of Peace, to where the atrium (a more inward part) was."
It was a second time removed, for Spartianus informs us that "Hadrian
removed it with twenty-four elephants _from_ the place where now
stands the Temple of the City."
Thus we learn that the spot where the Temple of Rome is, was formerly
the atrium of Nero's Golden House, and that the Temple of Peace
occupied the vestibule.
"Maxentius restored the Temple of Venus and Rome, which had been
damaged by fire" (Aur. Victor, "Cæs." xl.).
The Emperor Heraclius gave permission to Pope Honorius I. to remove
the bronze tiles of this temple in order to use them for the roof of
S. Peter's; whence they were stolen by the Saracens in 846.
Dion Cassius (lxxi. 31) tells us that "Cleopatra's statue in gold is
to be seen in the Temple of Venus to this day." Also that "the senate
ordered two statues of silver to be erected in the Temple of Venus;
one in honour of Faustina, and the other in honour of the Emperor
Marcus Aurelius. They likewise ordered an altar to be set up before
it, on which every contracted couple were to sacrifice before
marriage."
Mr. J. H. Parker, C.B., made some excavations under the wall of Gabii
stone in 1868-9, and found that a street ran from the Sacred Way along
the side of the wall, in which was a small doorway into the temple.
This has now been re-excavated by the Government (1880), who have
taken possession of the Round Temple.
The government have recently pulled down the chapel of the burial
society adjoining the Temple of Romulus, and on the two thousand six
hundred and thirty-third anniversary of the foundation of Rome, April
21st, 1880, the two cipollino columns were found to have belonged to
the