Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

By the Editors of the Madain Project

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (Tempio di Antonino e Faustina) was an ancient Roman temple in Rome. It was located in the Roman Forum, on the Via Sacra, opposite the Regia, east of the Basilica Aemilia. During the seventh century CE it was converted in to a Christian church dedicated to San Lorenzo.

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Overview

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, remarkably well-preserved due to its conversion into the Church of San Lorenzo in Miranda, was initially dedicated by Emperor Antoninus Pius in 141 CE to honour his late wife, Faustina the Elder, following her deification by the Senate. Two decades later, upon Antoninus Pius's death in 161 CE, the Senate added his name to the temple’s dedication, solidifying its status as a monument to both the emperor and his wife.

Unlike Christian churches, which had resident clergy for daily services, ancient Roman temples did not have permanent priests. Instead, pontiffs, tasked with overseeing religious rituals, would move between different sanctuaries to conduct ceremonies as needed.

This blend of religious transformation and evolving architectural use underscores the temple’s historical and cultural significance in both ancient and medieval contexts.

Brief History

circa 141 CE

The temple was constructed by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, beginning in 141 CE. It was initially dedicated to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina the Elder. Because of this, Faustina was the first Roman empress with a permanent presence in the Forum Romanum. When Antoninus Pius was deified after his death in 161 CE, the temple was re-dedicated to both Antoninus and Faustina by his successor, Marcus Aurelius.

Architecture

circa 141 CE

The building stands on a high platform of large grey peperino tufa blocks (inspect). The latter of two dedicatory inscriptions says, "Divo Antonino et Divae Faustinae Ex S.C." meaning, "For the divine Antoninus and for the divine Faustina, by decree of the Senate".

The eight monolithic Corinthian columns of its pronaos are 17 metres (56 ft) in height. The rich bas-reliefs of the frieze under the cornice, featuring griffins, acanthus scrolls, and candelabra, were often copied from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.

Architecturally, the temple illustrates key distinctions between Greek and Roman religious structures. While Greek temples typically feature stairways on all sides, Roman temples, including this one, were built on elevated podiums with a singular access point via a front staircase. The altar (inspect), located on the temple's steps outside the main structure, reflects Roman ritual practices, which required ceremonies to be conducted in the open air. The interior of the temple was accessible only on special occasions, such as the dies natalis, the anniversary of its dedication, when rites were performed in honour of the temple's deity.

A notable feature of the temple is the visible grooves on the large Corinthian columns of the façade. Traditionally, these marks were thought to result from attempts by medieval stone scavengers to strip the temple of its marble, with ropes supposedly leaving wear marks. However, this theory does not fully align with the evidence, as such friction marks would be deeper on the front-facing sides of the columns if caused by dismantling efforts. An alternative hypothesis suggests that these grooves were created by support beams for a temporary roof structure erected during a period when the temple was repurposed or had fallen into disuse.

Based on numismatic evidence, the temple was originally fenced off from the Via Sacra and a large, seated statue of Faustina would have been inside of the cella. Fragments of this statue and one of Antoninus Pius, which was added later, were discovered in front of the Temple.

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References

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