Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/432

 412 ROME to light many complicated structures, elliptic arcades, chambers, and long vaulted corridors, about 22 ft. lower than the level formerly sup- posed to be that of the ancient arena. (See COLOSSEUM.) Among the numerous temples of the city, the two most magnificent were those of Jupiter Capitolinus and of Venus and Rome ; the former, on the Capitoline hill, founded by Tarquinius Priscus, and several times rebuilt, the last time by Domitian, being undoubtedly the larger ; the latter, founded by Hadrian, probably the richest in decoration. The temples still conspicuous in ruin in the forum and on the slope of the Capitoline hill are those of Castor and Pollux, of Saturn, and of Vespasian and Titus. That dedicated by Antoninus Pius to his deceased wife Faustina still partially exists in a magnificent peristyle with monolithic columns, and the massive stone walls of the cella, or sanctuary, near the S. E. angle of the forum. The circular temple with a graceful marble colonnade of the Corinthian order, close to the Tiber, which was long miscalled the temple of Vesta, is now generally assigned to Hercules, to whom many temples in Rome were dedicated. The real temple of Venus, said to have been found- ed by Nuina, is now recognized in the low, massively constructed remnant of a circular building at the S. W. extremity of the forum, brought to light by excavations made in 1873. Most interesting is another discovery, in the same vicinity, of an edifice so ruinous that even the style of its architecture is not distinguishable, but which may be recognized beyond doubt as the ^Edes Ciesaris, a temple raised by Augustus on the spot where the body of Julius Cicsar was consumed in the flames after his funeral. In front of this building is still seen the Ros- tra Julii, a semicircular platform of stone which Augustus erected be- fore the threshold. The temple of Pallas, in the forum of Nerva, exist- ed, still beautiful in ru- ins, till 1612, when it was taken down in or- der to use its columns and marbles for the construction of a large fountain erected by Pope Paul V. on the Janiculan hill. The Pantheon was dedica- ted, according to com- mon belief, to all the gods, though Dion Cas- sins says it was sa- cred to Mars and Ve- nus. (See PANTHEON.) Prominent among the other remarkable features of the city were the triumphal arches thrown across the principal streets in commemoration of victories ; 21 are mentioned, of which the most important are the arch of Titus, on the Via Sacra, of Pen- telic marble, built to celebrate the capture Arch of Titus. of Jerusalem, and still standing; the arch of Septimius Severus, of the same material, at the entrance of the Via Sacra into the forum ; Arch of Constantino. the arch of Constantino, at the mouth of the valley between the Palatine and Cajlian hills, with thr.ee archways, adorned with beautiful