 The Temple of Hercules Victor, in theForum Boarium | |
   Temple of Hercules Victor Shown within Augustan Rome | |
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| Coordinates | 41°53′19″N12°28′51″E / 41.8887°N 12.4808°E /41.8887; 12.4808 |
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TheTemple of Hercules Victor (Italian:Tempio di Ercole Vincitore) orHercules Olivarius (Latin for "Hercules theOlive-Bearer")[1] is aRomantemple inPiazza Bocca della Verità, the formerForum Boarium, inRome,Italy. It is atholos, a round temple of Greek 'peripteral' design completely surrounded by a colonnade. This layout caused it to be mistaken for a temple ofVesta until it was correctly identified by Napoleon's Prefect of Rome,Camille de Tournon.[2]
Despite (or perhaps due to) the Forum Boarium's role as the cattle market for ancient Rome, the Temple of Hercules is the subject of a folk belief claiming that neither flies nor dogs will enter the holy place.[3] The temple is the earliest surviving mostly intact marble building in Rome and the only surviving one made of Greek marble.[4]
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It is dated to the later 2nd century BC and was built either byL. Mummius Achaicus, conqueror of theAchaeans and destroyer ofCorinth,[5] or by thetraderMarcus Octavius Herrenus in gratitude for success in business.[6] The temple is 14.8 m in diameter and consists of a circularcella within a concentric ring of twentyCorinthian columns 10.66 m tall, resting on atuff foundation. These elements supported anarchitrave and roof, which have disappeared.[6]
The original wall of the cella, built oftravertine and marble blocks, and nineteen of the originally twenty columns remain but the current tile roof was added later.Palladio's published reconstruction suggested a dome, though this was apparently erroneous. The temple's original dedication is dated back to circa 143-132 BC, a time when intense construction was taking place in Portus Tiberinus.[6]
Its major literary sources are two almost identical passages, one inServius' commentary on theAeneid (viii.363)[7] and the other inMacrobius'Saturnalia.[8] Though Servius mentions thataedes duae sunt, "there are two sacred temples", the earliestRoman calendars mention but one festival, on 13 August, toHercules Victor andHercules Invictus interchangeably.[9]
In the 1st century AD, the temple was hit with some sort of disaster as 10 columns were replaced with Luna marble, which is similar to the original but not an exact replica.[10] By 1132, the temple had beenconverted to a church, known as Santo Stefano alle Carozze (St. Stephen 'of the carriages'). In 1140, Innocent II converted the temple into a Christian church dedicating it to Santo Stefano.[4]
Additional restorations (and afresco over the altar) were made in 1475. A plaque in the floor was dedicated bySixtus IV. In the 12th century, the cella wall was replaced with brick faced concrete and windows were added as well.[10]
In the 17th century, the church was rededicated toSanta Maria del Sole ("St. Mary of the Sun"). The temple and the Temple of Vesta inTivoli were an inspiration for Bramante'sTempietto and other High Renaissance churches of centralized plan.[citation needed] Between 1809 and 1810, the surrounding ground level was lowered and the temple was restored once again.[11] The temple was recognized officially as an ancient monument in 1935 and restored in 1996.[12]
Media related toTemple of Hercules (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Temple of Hadrian | Landmarks of Rome Temple of Hercules Victor | Succeeded by Temple of Janus |
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