The Temples of Pompeii And Herculaneum

1. The Temples of Pompeii And Herculaneum Greek Roman Foreign

2. Greek Temples TheGreek’s had a massive influence on a large percentage of the temples in Pompeii both architecturally and religiously as many of the Roman gods and temples where based off Greek ideas and beliefs. Its is also believed that Herculaneum’s and Pompeii’s early religious buildings are all dedicated to Greek gods.

3. Roman Temples For Romans, like the Greeks, the performance of one’s religious duties was an important part of being a citizen. When Rome conquered Campania, it ruled politically and culturally. Many new temples and cults were formed especially when Augustus was in power. They were very highly favoured by Emperors and were placed in the forum in Pompeii so everybody could see. Not only were these temples the largest buildings in the city but also became a forceful means of emphasising new political situations and their alliance with Rome.

4. Foreign Temples Pompeii and Herculaneum were in direct contact with the surrounding regions and the wider world due to their geographical position and access to the sea. Because of this, other cultures could easily been see and experienced by the citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as the rest of the Roman population. Several foreign or mystery cults, customs and traditions eventually were adopted by both Campania and Rome and soon a few became quite popular within society.

5. Herculaneum • Herculaneum is located on the coast west of Mt Vesuvius and was too, covered by the eruption. When it was first excavated it was found that a city nearby had built on top of Herculaneum and has stopped many excavations, limiting the amount of information gathered. Unfortunately no temples (except for the Augustales) have been uncovered. • It is believed that the city was founded by Hercules (hence “HERCUL”) and had many Greek temples and customs. • The picture above shows the ancient city if Herculaneum with the modern day city built on top in the background. GREEK

6. The Doric Temple • The Doric Temple had a particularly prominent location, overlooking the Sarno River and was visible by travellers via sea and the river. • It has been suggested that the Doric Temple is a temple to Hercules, who was also the founder of many settlements in Campania before Roman influence. • The picture shows the remaining columns of the temple which have dated to 6th century BCE. GREEK

7. The Temple Of Apollo • These pictures demonstrate the sheer size of the temple and the area surrounding associated with it. • Located next to the forum, the Temple of Apollo was one of the most popular temples when introduced in 6th Century BCE. • Apollo was adopted as Augustus’s patron when he became highly interested in the God. GREEK

8. The Temple Of Bacchus/Dionysus • This model representation of the Temple of Dionysus or soon known by the Romans as Bacchus, shows the layout of the temple. It had two couches located immediately in front of it and had a small altar at the front. • The temple of Bacchus was located outside the walls of Pompeii and was the god of fertility and wine. His cult was associated with drunkenness and promiscuity. GREEK

9. The Temple To The Capitoline Triad. • This temple dedicated to the three gods Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva stands on a 3 meter high podium on the northern end of the forum. This massive temple held many items like the town sacrificial equipment and the town’s public treasures, emphasising its importance. • The temple was damaged during the earthquake in 62 AD and moved to a smaller sanctuary near the theatre. It was in working order when eruption occurred. • The picture above shows what remains of the temple and emphasises how important it was due to its size and location. ROMAN

10. Temple Of Venus • As seen in the source, it is clear that Venus was highly praised within Pompeii due to the size of the temple. • Many mosaics, painting and frescos have been discovered all over Pompeii and was expected to bring well-being and success throughout the community. It is also believed that Venus was the patron Goddess of Pompeii and was very popular especially with the sailors who sought her protection. • As Venus was born in the sea ( as depicted in the House of Venus), the temple faces the sea. ROMAN

11. The Shrine of the Augustales • This Lar style painting depicts the emperor Augustus which demonstrates his extreme importance. This is one of the rare finds within Herculaneum. • When he died he was declared a god by the senate and leading members of a community became Augustales who used their own funds to promote the imperial cult. ROMAN

12. The Temple Of The Augusti(Temple of Vespasian) • Well known for the Altar out the front which illustrate a sacrificial ritual , the Temple Of Augusti was another place where the imperial cult was celebrated. • As the picture proves, the temple was raised on a podium and was surrounded by a sacred enclosure (temenos), providing another source which illustrates the importance of Augustus to the citizens. ROMAN

13. The Temple Of Isis • From this statue of Isis, found in the temple of Isis, the magnitude of Isis’s influence is given by the fine craftsmen ship of the statue. When the temple was damaged in the earthquake in 62AD, it was the first to be rebuilt. • The Cult of Isis came to Campania after the defeat of Darius the 3rd by Alexandra the Great in Egypt and through the expansion of Rome. As it arrived in Pompeii and Herculaneum it became extremely popular with the women and the lower classes of slaves and freedmen. As popularity grew, so did the number of rich men and soon objects, paintings and other forms of art became more and more common. Foreign

14. A Description of The Temple Of Isis • This description by Shelly gives us an idea of the beauty associated with the Temple of Isis. From this description it is clear that it was highly recognised in society. “ The Temple of Isis is more perfect. It is surrounded by a portico of fluted columns, and in the area around it are two altars… and a little chapel of white stucco, as hard as stone… but of a workmanship the most delicate and perfect that can be conceived. With a pavement of mosaic, and fluted Ionic columns of white stucco… it dazzles you to look at it.” Letters of Percy Bysshe Shelly Foreign

15. Sabazius • Sabazius was known in Greece from the 5th Century BCE and is often known to be equal to Zeus or Dionysus and was the god of vegetation. • The Bronze statue found in the store room in a small shrine (sacellum) in a garden. With it, they also found drawings of a nude priest doing a ritual dance with a tambourine. • This statues provides us with the evidence that other religions were present but in this case, only in small numbers. It also related to other religions as other cultures have gods with similar traits. Foreign

16. Lakshmi • Lakshmi is a Hindu god of fertility, beauty, and wealth. • The statue in the source resents Aphrodite and may have arrived in Italy by means of commercial links to the east. • It is still unclear if it is an ornament or a shrine. Foreign