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 Arch of Tiberius, which stood at the corner of the Basilica Julia,
where the Vicus Jugarius and the Clivus Capitolinus diverged, cannot be
clearly traced, though some of its ruins have been thought to exist among
those uncovered at the edge of and under the modern road. This arch has
been with great probability supposed to be that alluded to by Tacitus in
speaking of the recovery of the Roman standards lost by Varus, and retaken
by Germanicus under the auspices of Tiberius.[53] The triumphal arch
represented on the Arch of Constantine is also thought to be that of
Tiberius placed here.
[Sidenote: Temple of Saturn.]
We now pass under the modern road to the foot of the Capitoline Hill, and
proceed to examine the most prominent ruin at the western end of the
Forum. This consists of eight columns, six of red granite forming a front,
and two side columns of grey granite. The capitals of these and the
decoration of the entablature, architrave and frieze surmounting them are
of a late and debased Ionic order with volutes in the later style, and
they have been pieced together in the last restoration of the temple with
extraordinary negligence. Unequal spaces are left between the columns, and
some are set upon plinths while others are without them. One of the side
columns has been so badly re-erected that the stones are misplaced, and
consequently the diameter of the upper portion is of the same size as that
of the lower. The restored carving on the inner frieze is of the roughest
description, and the barbarous negligence of the whole restoration shows
that it cannot have been done earlier than the fourth or fifth century. A
comparison of the ruins now remaining with the plan as given on the
fragments of the Capitoline map, bearing the name SAT VRNI has been made
by Jordan, who shows that the remains of a prominent and peculiar flight
of steps in front of the six columns correspond to the rough sketch on the
plan, and that this flight of steps facing north must be taken to be the
front of the temple.[54] The pavement stones of the road which led from
the forum past the front of the temple may still be traced curving round
this projecting flight of steps. Little doubt now remains that the ruin of
the eight columns, the name of which has been so much discussed, belonged
to the Temple of Saturn.
[Illustration: Temple of Saturn. Temple of Antoninus and Faustina.
Coliseum and Arch of Titus. Temple of Castor.]
The inscription now upon the front was placed there at its latest
restoration which, as we have seen, was in Christian times, and the name
of the divinity is therefore omitted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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