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Temples with Transverse Cellae in Republican and Early Imperial Italy

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Temples with Transverse Cellae in Republican and Early Imperial Italy BABesch 82 (2007, 333-346. doi: 10.2143/BAB.82.2.2020781) Forms of Cult? Temples with transverse cellae in Republican and early Imperial Italy Benjamin D. Rous Abstract This article presents an analysis of a particular temple type that first appeared during the Late Republic, the temple with transverse cella. In the past this particular cella-form has been interpreted as a solution to spatial constraints. In more recent times it has been argued that the cult associated with the temple was the decisive factor in the adoption of the transverse cella. Neither theory, when considered in isolation, can fully and con- vincingly explain the particular forms of both Republican and Imperial temples. Rather, it can be argued that a combination of pragmatic and above all aesthetic considerations has played a major role in the particular archi- tecture of these temples.* INTRODUCTION archaeological evidence, even though the remains of the building itself have never been excavated. In the fourth book of his famous treatise on archi- Furthermore, this is one of the temples actually tecture, Vitruvius mentions a specific temple-type, mentioned by Vitruvius in his treatise. In yet an- whose basic characteristic is that all the features other case, the temple of Aesculapius in the Latin normally found on the short side of the temple colony of Fregellae, although construction activi- have been transferred to the long side. What this ties have destroyed virtually the entire temple basically means is that the pronaos still constitutes building, a reconstruction of a transverse cella the front part of the temple, but instead of being nevertheless seems likely on the basis of the scant longitudinally developed, the cella is rotated 90º remains we do have. The temple of Diana Nemo- with respect to the pronaos.1 rensis on the shores of the Lago di Nemi is the The origin of this particular temple-type is not last of the three buildings listed by Vitruvius, but clear. The most likely candidate is the temple of in this case the archaeological evidence gathered Veiovis inter Arcem et Capitolium, but it is uncer- so far even speaks against the inclusion of this tain if the earliest phase of the building, dated in temple in our group. Two other temples have tra- 194-193 BC already possessed a transverse cella. ditionally been included in the list of temples Besides the temple of Veiovis, Vitruvius himself with transverse cella, the Agrippan phase of the only mentions two other examples of this peculiar Pantheon in Rome and the Capitolium of Brixia temple type in Rome and the rest of Italy. (present-day Brescia).2 These last two structures Archaeological research has brought to light will be discussed in this paper to ascertain if they some remains which brings the group of possible do indeed belong in this typological group. examples of temples with transverse cella up to On the basis of these introductory observations, eight, including the three Vitruvian examples. Of we can cautiously conclude that this particular these, only three can be identified with absolute temple type does not hold a prominent position certainty as belonging to this category since these within the body of Roman religious architecture. are the cases where the original ground plans of However, this minor subset with its singular ar- the temples can be fairly easily reconstructed on chitectural characteristics does raise one interest- the basis of the archaeological remains of the ing question: why were they built in this particu- structures themselves. These are the temple of lar way? So far scholars have not been able to Veiovis and the temple of Concordia Augusta in come up with a general explanation for the use of Rome and the temple of Apollo in Cumae. In the transverse cella. The most common reason another case, the temple of Castor and Pollux in mentioned is that the latitudinal development circo Flaminio, the reconstruction with transverse was caused by spatial restraints, claiming that the cella seems fairly certain on the basis of secondary cella of the temple was turned because a normal 333 Fig. 1. Construction phases of the temple of Veiovis inter Arcem et Capitolium (after Colini 1942). structures, the oldest examples of temples with transverse cella known thus far. Because Monti’s article only deals with these two temples in relation to his theory, it would be interesting to expand on his research and include the entire group of temples with a possible trans- verse cella. Only an examination of the entire group permits us to establish if there is in fact a con- nection between the form and the cult of temples with transverse cellae in general. This paper will offer a description of the various temples which possibly have a transverse cella and ascertain if they indeed belong to this specific type. We shall see that several of the temples traditionally attrib- uted to this group in fact do not have a transverse cella at all. Next, the cult associated with the tem- ples with transverse cella will be examined. An attempt will be made for each period, Republican and Imperial, and for the group of temples as a whole, to establish if there is in fact a correlation between cult and transversality, and if so what Fig. 2. Second construction phase of the temple of this correlation might be. Veiovis (after Colini 1942). THE EARLIEST EXAMPLES cella would have taken up too much space.3 However, this explanation has been called into Temple of Veiovis, Rome question in more recent times by Pier Giorgio Monti.4 His criticism of the spatial restraint the- The temple of Veiovis, discovered during excava- ory is that in virtually all existing cases, the devel- tions underneath the Palazzo Senatorio on the opment of a traditional cella would have been Piazza del Campidoglio in 1939, was built on the possible and that the area taken up by a temple south-western corner of the Tabularium in Rome with transverse cella is not much smaller than a and seems to have undergone three major phases traditional temple.5 This leads to the hypothesis of construction during the Republican period (fig. that the transverse cella is an adaptation to the tra- 1).7 The temple was first dedicated in 192 by ditional temple design brought about by cult Quintus Marcius Rella, the last phase, probably necessities,6 which is illustrated by the example built in conjunction with the vast structure of the of the temples of Veiovis in Rome and Aesculapius Tabularium, was dedicated in 78. In this last phase, in Fregellae. The observations made by Monti the temple had a cella that was almost twice as about these two structures will be summarised in wide as it was deep (15 x 8.90 m), preceded by a this paper in the sections devoted to these two narrow tetrastyle pronaos, thus exhibiting the 334 Fig. 3. Excavated remains of the sanctuary of Aesculapius. Fregellae (after Coarelli 1986). characteristics mentioned by Vitruvius (fig. 2).8 It is also certain that the second phase, to be placed near the middle of the 2nd century BC, had a trans- verse cella.9 However, we cannot be sure about the first phase, since the archaeological remains that can be related to this phase leave room for the Fig. 4. Reconstruction drawing of the sanctuary of reconstruction of a traditional cella as well as a Aesculapius. Fregellae (after Monti 1999). transverse one.10 Monti raises some interesting points about this tuary dedicated to the god of healing can be dated temple in his article. He proposes an explanation in the third quarter of the 2nd century BC, and al- for the peculiar temple lay-out in the case of though very little remains of the central aedes, a Veiovis, directly linking it to the cult of the god.11 lining of tufa blocks enables us to ascertain its Although he admits that our evidence for this in- global form. The difference in the weathering of fernal deity, probably of Etruscan origin, is scarce, these blocks has led the excavators to suppose he hypothesizes that for a god who inhabits the that they might have borne the facing of the most foul region of the heavens and whose very podium core, probably constructed in opus cae- name sounds like that of an ‘anti-Jupiter’, a special menticium.14 If we accept this hypothesis this ‘anti-entrance’ had to be created more suited to the means that the temple did indeed have a trans- extraordinary and ‘contrary’ qualities of the deity.12 verse cella, 18.20 m wide and 14.80 m long, with This intriguing notion would have been greatly a pronaos 13.85/13.95 m wide and 8 m long at strengthened had we had at our disposal the most.15 Attached to the central temple building archaeological remains of other temples dedicated were two L-shaped colonnades, thus forming a to this deity with the same general form. From the porticus triplex with the aedes interposed in the sources, we know of only one other possible central section (fig. 4). shrine dedicated to the deity, on the Tiber Island A fragment of an altar was found ex situ, with in Rome, but we have no clue which form the an inscription that reads:16 building had, if it even existed.13 […]f. Aisc[o]lap[io] Temple of Aesculapius, Fregellae It is through this inscription that we can identify The earliest example of a temple with transverse the monumental Republican sanctuary as an As- cella outside of Rome is almost certainly the tem- klepieion.
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