Featured The elusive remains of the Temple of Augustus

The structure generally known as the temple of Augustus has recently been completely uncovered by the removal of the church of S. Maria Liberatric.(see a brief history and pics below) It is a large rectangular construction of brick-faced concrete, with very lofty and massive walls, and belongs to the period of Domitian. It forms a single structural unit shown very clearly by the unbroken lines of bonding courses of tiles which run right through it.
In 1902 the church located on this site, Chiesa di S.Maria Liberatrice, was demolished. It was built in the 13th century and transformed in baroque forms several centuries later (its name was given to another church built in the beginning of the 20th century in Testaccio district). Destruction brought to the light what rests of the more ancient Christian church, S.Maria Antiqua, erected in the 6th century inside of one of the halls of the imperial palace on Palatine Hill, built by Domitian.
Opened to the public 2016, and inside view of the ancient church S.Maria Antiqua and above street view. Note the large structure to the right the Temple of Augustus.
Temple of Augustus built by Tiberius, or by Tiberius and Livia. According to Suetonius, Tiberius did not finish the temple, and it was completed by Caligula. Tacitus, however, says that Tiberius finished the temple, but for some reason did not dedicate it. In this temple were statues of Augustus and Livia, set up by Claudius, and probably of other emperors who were deified. It was destroyed by fire at some time before 79 A.D. but restored, probably by Domitian, who seems to have constructed in connection with it a shrine of his patron goddess, Minerva. A considerable restoration was carried out by Antoninus Pius, whose coins show an octastyle building with Corinthian capitals, and two statues, presumably of Augustus and Livia, in the cella. Of the construction of the original temple before the restoration by Antoninus, we know nothing from ancient sources other than coins.
The restitution of the temple by Antoninus Pius is securely attested by silver and bronze issues of his reign showing an octostyle temple of the Corinthian order with the legend AED / TEMPLVM DIVI AVG REST.There can be no question that this is a contemporary portrayal of the temple of Divus Augustus.
The pediment displayed a relief featuring Augustus and was topped by a quadriga. Two figures stood on the eaves of the roof, that on the left representing Romulus and the one on the right depicting Aeneas leading his family out of Troy, alluding to Rome's origin-myth. The steps of the temple were flanked by two statues of Victory.
My coinage of Antoninus Pius representing the temple.

Antoninus Pius Sestertius honoring the temple of Augustus and Livia, a very large heavy coin 28.6 gm. I look at this coin as very rustic and has a very original feel to it. RIC 1004.

AE Dupondius 27mm, 10.58g, Rome mint struck AD 159, Radiate head right / TEMPLVM DIV AVG REST. Octastyle temple within which are the seated figures of Divus Augustas and Livia. RIC III 1017.

AR Denarius, 17mm, 2.86g, RIC 143


The ruins of the temple of Augustus as they are today.
The Temple of Divus Augustus was a major temple originally built to commemorate the deified first Roman emperor, Augustus. It was built between the Palatine and Capitoline Hills, behind the Basilica Julia, on the site of the house that Augustus had inhabited before he entered public life in the mid-1st century BC. It is known from Roman coinage that the temple was originally built to an Ionic octastyle design. However, its size, physical proportions and exact site are unknown.
Map of area. Just in case your not familliar with where the temple was situated in the forum, if you look to the bottom right near the scale I have it circled.



SHOW YOUR ANTONINUS PIUS COINS. THIS GUY PRODUCED SOME OF THE MOST APEALLING COINS OF THE EMPIRE.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Excellent post and coins!

Heres a few I dont share much

 

Very nice, the top and bottom coin are very popular and can be pricey.

 

Thanks for the great write-up, Ancient Aussie

 

Great post! I have the Temple one too, but looks like it’s been messed around with a bit.

My favourite is a sestertius showing his own column.

I picked up a couple of ‘Divus Antoninus’ coins issued under Marcus Aurelius from a dealer’s mixed lot. I like these reverses: a funeral pyre like a wedding cake and an altar.

 

Here are some illustrations from the ‘Atlas of Ancient Rome’. It’s in the section marked ‘C’ on the map.

 

One interesting thing about you coins, @Ancient Aussie , is the word TEMPLVM in the reverse inscription. Contrast this with the inscription AED (short for aedes) on this similar architectural type of Faustina I, which depicts the Temple of Diva Faustina. You may read about it here:


Faustina Senior, Augusta AD 138-141
Roman AR denarius; 3.27 g, 17.5 mm, 5 h
Rome under Antoninus Pius, AD 150
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right
Rev: AED DIV FAVSTINAE, hexastyle temple on podium; statues to right and left and seated figure of Faustina in center; statues of Victory at corners of pediment
Refs: RIC 343; BMCRE 339; Cohen 1; RCV 4573.

In the modern sense a "temple" normally means a consecrated building, but this was not the meaning of the Latin word templum.

To the Romans a templum meant a consecrated area rather than an edifice. It was defined by the augurs as a suitable spot for taking the auguries, i.e., divination based on the observation of the flight of birds. Such an area was normally rectangular in shape and aligned with the four cardinal points. A templum could be a physical space, in which case it would be marked or enclosed, but it could also be an area of the sky, in which the birds would be observed. In the ancient sense of the word, a templum was a space where humans, represented by the augurs, can interact with the gods.

The Latin word aedes meant a building, but it was also used for a temple or sanctuary, so it corresponds much more closely to the modern sense of the word "temple."

The concepts of templum and aedes are distinct, but they are also related. There need not be a temple in the modern sense within a templum, but it was very common for an aedes to be located in a templum, though it was not a requirement. Hence templum and aedes are not the same, but they often coincide.

Important political decisions could only be taken with the consent of the gods, so they would have to be taken in a templum where the gods were present. The Comitium in the Roman Forum was such a templum, and it is also an example of a templum that did not contain an aedes. The senate could only meet in a templum, so if the Curia was not available for some reason, the senate would often meet in a temple, aedes, that was also a templum. Such meetings were held in the Aedes Castoris, in the Aedes Iuppiter Stator and in the Templum Concordiae, all temples in the Roman Forum.

The terminology changed towards the later centuries of antiquity, and it became more common to refer to an aedes as a templum, thus adding to the confusion.

 

thank you for sharing

Nicomedia mint. Laureate and draped bust right / COM-BIT across field, octastyle temple of Rome and Augustus at Nicomedia, frieze inscribed ROM S P AVG

 

That's a nice-looking coin, @Okidoki ! The interesting thing, I think, is that it has the Latin inscription COM BIT (Commune Bithyniae) instead of the more usual ΒΙΘΥΝΙΑ or ΚΟΙΝΟΝ ΒЄΙΘΥΝΙΑC (which occurs on many provincial bronzes of this city under Hadrian).

 

The temple on this Domitian denarius is unidentified, but based on its similar appearance to the AP temple coins it could be the Temple of Augustus.

Domitian
AR Denarius, 2.73g
Rome mint, 95-96 AD
RIC 816 (R2). BMC 243. RSC 175.
Obv: DOMITIANVS AVG GERM; Head of Domitian, bare, bearded, r.
Rev: Temple, eight columns, seated figure in centre; IMP CAESAR on architrave
Ex Private Collection.

 

GREAT write-up, map, and coins @Ancient Aussie ! Lotta good work, and my must had been a fun visit.

Here is my A Pius:


RI Antoninus Pius 138-161 BCE AR Denarius


RI Antoninus Pius 138-161 BCE BI Tet Alexandria Egypt Dikaiosyne Scale

 

How am I supposed to be able to determine the real coins from the counterfeit coins??? edited

 

this made me post my coin
Cistophori were produced in the name of the Commune Bithyniae for the first and only time under Hadrian. The 'SP' in 'ROM SP AVG' is presumably to be read "Senatui Populo".

 

Wonderful post, Ancient Aussie - this is the most, best information on the Temple of Augustus that I've seen. Thanks for posting this.

I was curious about this temple originally because I have one of those Antoninus Pius temple restoration coins, a very, very scruffy denarius:

 

Great essay and photographs, @Ancient Aussie !

 

Really like your post @Ancient Aussie !

Here's an Antoninus Pius provincial with some architecture on the head of Tyche:

 

Thanks nice portraits on both.

 

Thanks, great coins that column pius is fantastic.

 

Love your coin, definitely around the time period my guess it is.

 

Thanks, great portrait on that top one.