The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus ("Jupiter, greatest and best"; also known as the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus), was the great temple on the Capitoline Hill in Ancient Rome. The Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus Mons), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the most famous and smallest of the seven hills of Rome. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ...

History

First building

Much of what is known of the first Temple of Jupiter is from later Roman tradition. It was said that the Temple of Jupiter was dedicated on September 13 in the first year of the Roman Republic, c. 509 BC. It was sacred to the Capitoline Triad consisting of Jupiter and his companion deities, Juno and Minerva. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus vowed this temple while battling with the Sabines, and seems to have laid some of its foundations; a large part of the work, however, was done by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, who is said to have nearly completed it. is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article refers to the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For alternate meanings, see Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC - 450s BC Events and Trends 509 BC - Foundation of the Roman Republic 508 BC - Office of pontifex maximus created... The Capitoline Triad was comprised of three deities of Roman mythology who were worshipped most famously in an elaborate temple on Romes Capitoline Hill. ... IVNO REGINA (Queen Juno) on a coin celebrating Julia Soaemias. ... Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 For other uses, see Minerva (disambiguation). ... Lucius Tarquinius Priscus was the legendary fifth King of Rome, said to have reigned from 616 BC to 579 BC. Tarquinius Priscus came from the Etruscan city of Tarquinii and was actually named Lucumo. ... Sabine (in Latin and in Italian, Sabina) is a sub-region of Latium, Italy, on the North-East of Rome toward Rieti. ... Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (also called Tarquin the Proud or Tarquin II) was the last of the seven legendary kings of Rome, son of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, and son-in-law of Servius Tullius. ...

Tradition also had it that prior to the temple's construction shrines to other gods occupied the site. When the augurs carried out the rites seeking permission to remove them, only Terminus and Iuventas were believed to have refused. Their shrines were therefore incorporated into the new structure. As the god of boundaries, Terminus' refusal to be moved was interpreted as a favorable omen for the future of the Roman state. The Augur was a priest or official in ancient Rome. ... In Roman mythology, Terminus was the god of boundaries. ... Hebe by Antonio Canova In Greek mythology, Hēbē (Greek: ) is the goddess of youth (Roman equivalent: Juventas). ...

The man to perform the dedication of the temple was chosen by lot. The duty fell to Marcus Horatius Pulvillus, one of the consuls in that year. This article is about the Roman rank. ...

The original Temple measured almost 60 x 60 m and was considered the most important religious temple of the whole state of Rome. Each deity of the Triad had a separate cella, with Juno Regina on the left, Minerva on the right, and Jupiter Optimus Maximus in the middle. The temple was decorated with many terra cotta sculptures. The most famous of these was of Jupiter driving a quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses, which was placed at the peak of the pediment. This sculpture, as well as the cult statue of Jupiter in the main cella, was said to have been the work of Etruscan artisan Vulca of Veii. Temple layout with cella highlighted A cella (from Latin for small chamber) or naos (from the Greek for temple), is the inner chamber of a temple in classical architecture, or a shop facing the street in domestic Roman architecture (see domus). ... Terra cotta is a hard semifired waterproof ceramic clay used in pottery and building construction. ... A quadriga (from the Latin language quadri-, four, and jungere, to yoke) is a four-horse chariot, raced in the Olympic Games and other sacred games, and represented in profile as the usual chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and bas-reliefs. ... A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns. ... See: Etruscan civilization Etruscan language Etruscan alphabet Etruscan mythology See also: Tyrrhenian, Lemnian, Pelasgian. ... Veii - or Veius - was in ancient times, an important Etrurian city 18 km NNW of Rome, Italy. ...

Second building

The first Temple was burned down in 83 BC, during the wars under the dictatorship of Sulla. Also lost in this fire were the Sibylline Books, which were written by classical sibyls, and stored in the Temple (to be guarded and consulted by the Quindecemviri (council of fifteen) on matters of state only on emergencies). Brutus and the assassins locked themselves inside it after murdering Caesar. The new temple of Quintus Lutatius Catulus was renovated and repaired by Augustus Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC Years: 88 BC 87 BC 86 BC 85 BC 84 BC - 83 BC - 82 BC 81 BC 80... Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX)[1] (ca. ... The Sibylline Books or Sibyllae were a collection of oracular utterances, set out in Greek hexameters, purchased from a sibyl by the semi-legendary last king of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, and consulted at momentous crises through the history of the Republic and the Empire. ... The word Sibyl comes (via Latin) from the ancient Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess. ... The quindecemviri sacris faciundis were the fifteen members of a college for less clearly defined religious duties. ... Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus (died 43 BC) was a Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC, one of Julius Caesars assassins. ... For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation). ... Quintus Lutatius Catulus Caesar was a Roman general and was consul with Marius in 102 BC. He was originally Sextus Julius Caesar, son of Sextus Julius Caesar (brother of Gaius Julius Caesar, who was father of Gaius Julius Caesar, who was in turn father of Julius Caesar) and brother of... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ...

Third building

The second building burnt down during the course of fighting on the hill in 69 AD, when Vespasian battled to enter the city as Emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors. It was replaced by the Emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian [1]. Ancient sources tell us Domitian used at least twelve thousands talents of gold for the gilding of the bronze roof tiles alone. In keeping with previous versions, elaborate relief sculpture adorned the pediment. A Renaissance drawing of a damaged relief in the Louvre Museum shows a four-horse chariot (quadriga) beside a two-horse chariot (biga) to the right of the latter at the highest point of the pediment, the two statues serving as the central acroterion, and statues of the god Mars and goddess Venus surmounting the corners of the cornice, serving as acroteria. Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s - 60s - 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Years: 64 65 66 67 68 - 69 - 70 71 72 73 74 Events The Year of the four emperors: After Neros death, Galba, Otho and Vitellius are all Roman... Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (born November 17, 9, died June 23, 79), known originally as Titus Flavius Vespasianus and usually referred to in English as Vespasian, was emperor of Rome from 69 to 79. ... The Year of the Four Emperors was a year in the history of the Roman Empire, 69, in which four emperors ruled in a remarkable succession. ... For other uses, see Titus (disambiguation). ... Titus Flavius Domitianus (24 October 51 – 18 September 96), commonly known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor of the gens Flavia. ... Titus Flavius Domitianus (24 October 51 – 18 September 96), commonly known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor of the gens Flavia. ... A talent is an ancient unit of mass. ... In the art of sculpture, a relief is an artwork where a modelled form projects out of a flat background. ... Sculptor redirects here. ... A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the columns. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... The main courtyard of the Louvre. ... A quadriga (from the Latin language quadri-, four, and jungere, to yoke) is a four-horse chariot, raced in the Olympic Games and other sacred games, and represented in profile as the usual chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and bas-reliefs. ... Biga is a term that has several meanings: The Latin word for chariot is biga. ... An acroterion or acroterium is an ornament placed on a plinth or acroter at the apex of the pediment of a building in the Classical style. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Geison. ...

On the face of the pediment the god Jupiter was flanked by Juno and Minerva, seated on thrones. Below was an eagle with wings spread out. A biga driven by the sun god and a biga driven by the moon were depicted either side of the three gods. Head of Minerva by Elihu Vedder, 1896 For other uses, see Minerva (disambiguation). ...

The temple completed by Domitian is thought to have lasted more or less intact for over four hundred years, until the fifth century depredations of Stilicho, Gaiseric, and Narses. Stilicho (right) with his wife Serena and son Eucherius Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (ca. ... Geiseric (circa 389 – January 25, 477), also spelled as Gaiseric or Genseric, was the King of the Vandals and Alans (428–477) and was one of the key players in the troubles of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. ... Narses (478-573) was, along with Belisarius, one of the two great generals in the service of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I. during the so-called Reconquest that took place during the Justinians reign. ...

Remains today

Today, what little remains of the temple can be seen behind the Palazzo dei Conservatori, in an exhibition area built in the Caffarelli Garden. The ruins are a part of the Musei Capitolini. The Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus Mons), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the most famous and smallest of the seven hills of Rome. ... Michelangelos design for Capitoline Hill, now home to the Capitoline Museums. ...

Sources

• Richardson, Lawrence. A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Stamper, John W. The Architecture of Roman Temples: The Republic to the Middle Empire. Cambridge University Press.

External link

• Temple of Jupiter