Old Rome: A Handbook to the Ruins of the City and the CampagnaBurn, Robert
History
Old Rome: A Handbook to the Ruins of the City and the Campagna
Burn, Robert
Rome (Italy) -- Antiquities; Rome (Italy) -- Description and travel
The brick building called the Temple of the Divus Rediculus stands half a
mile to the left of the road at the second milestone in the Caffarella
valley. The legend which connects it with Hannibal’s march on Rome is
altogether unworthy of credit,[129] and it is plain that the building,
which had no rows of surrounding columns, but is constructed with
Corinthian pilasters, had two stories, and cannot therefore have been a
temple. Professor Reber considers that it was a chapel tomb similar to
that to be seen further on the road at S. Urbano, near the Tomb of Cæcilia
Metella.
[Sidenote: Grotto of Egeria.]
The Grotto of Egeria, as it is called, lies in the valley of the Almo
about half a mile above the building just mentioned. It is an arched
nymphæum of brick, at the back of which a plentiful stream of clear water
issues. The mutilated statue of the nymph still remains, but no other
parts of the decorations. There is little doubt that it was the nymphæum
of some suburban villa.
[Sidenote: Temple of Bacchus or Honos.]
On the hill above it stands the Church of S. Urbano, probably an ancient
tomb in the shape of a chapel. It is commonly called the Temple of Bacchus
from the discovery under it of an altar of Dionysus with a Greek
inscription. But this altar seems to have been moved here from some other
spot. The building is in the form which has a projecting porch with four
Corinthian columns and capitals. These are now built up into the modern
wall. The whole, except the entablature and columns, is of brickwork of
the Antonine era, as appears from the stamps of the bricks. The triple
frieze, forming a kind of attica between the architrave and cornice, seems
to contradict the notion that this was a temple, though the great
antiquary E. Q. Visconti considered that it was the Temple of Honour built
by Marius outside the Porta Capena.[130] The interior is tolerably well
preserved, and has a vaulted roof with coffers and reliefs in the form of
trophies.
[Sidenote: The Circus of Maxentius and Temple of Romulus.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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