Temple of Apollo Sosianus

The Temple of Apollo Sosianus, also called Temple of Apollo in Circo, is located in Rome, close to the Theatre of Marcellus.

According to Livy, a first temple of Apollo at this point was inaugurated in 431 BC by the consul Gaius Julius Mento. At that time was the consecration under the name of Apollo Medicus. This was done to emphasize the healing nature of the deity. A few years ago the Romans had the occasion of a rampant epidemic stores the vow to build a temple to the salvific god Apollo, when he frees them from the disease. As a location for the temple had a point selected at the edge of the Campus Martius, as a temple to Apollo as a foreign god was not to be placed at the center of the city. Also, was located at this place for some time (probably since 449 BC) an altar to the God who was dedicated to Apollo Alexikakos, so the evil defense ends.

The cult of the Greek god Apollo is presumed to have early on contacts from Cumae to Rome. Also Etruscan influence in this direction, it seems to have given.

Architectural History

Over the centuries, the temple was rebuilt several times and repaired. This is demonstrated for the years 353 BC, 179 BC and 34 BC The restoration in 34 BC was funded by Gaius Sosius, after which the temple to this day - even to distinguish the Temple of Apollo is named - on the Palatine. This is the name in Pliny ( HN 36.28 hist ) templum Apollinis Sosiani. However Sosius left the temple not only repair, but as it were newly built, for the first time in marble. Already under Caesar the construction of a theater had been planned in this area, a project that has been implemented by Augustus after the acquisition of additional land. Since the construction of the Theatre of Marcellus foundations of the old temple of Apollo were built over, this was apparently as the adjacent Temple of Piety and Diana laid down for the theater. The construction of the temple of Apollo was unceremoniously moved a few meters to the north. The frontal staircase was abandoned and replaced by side stairs, so that the distance of the theater and the temple was less than 6 meters. This seemed to be just enough to allow both the theater and the Temple enough space that should both relate to each other, because Apollo was also regarded as the god of the arts. Since the Republican period the Apollinarischen games were listed before the temple, namely plays in honor of the god. When the building of the theater at about 20 BC, the construction of the Sosianus temple was completed, which is therefore approximately the mid-twenties to date BC.

Specifications

Today, of the once 40- m long and 21.32 m wide temple 3 each 14 m high Corinthian columns are seen with an architrave in place. This is taught in 1940 here again. On the architrave olive leaf garlands and bull heads are visible. Other finds are now in the possession of the Capitoline Museums. For example, a pediment group, showing the combat of Heracles and Theseus against the Amazons, exhibited in the Centrale Monte Martini at Via Ostiense. This probably dates from the 5th century BC and was originally located in a temple of Apollo at Eretria in Greece.

Exterior

The on a podium elevating the temple had a pseudipteralen floor plan with a 6 x 3 columns wide porch. The long sides of the cella were organized, each with seven half-columns, for the rear wall was dispensed with a corresponding structure. This reflects the dependence on the slightly older temple of Apollo on the Palatine, which had a similar porch and structure of the long sides. In contrast to this the temple of Sosianus was, however, a Pyknostylos, that is, the clear distance between its pillars was one and a half times its lower column diameter. In the same column strength of sosianische construction is thus created something smaller.

The predominantly built of marble lunensischem next Roman travertine exterior was decorated very rich in almost all the architectual elements. Already with the column bases is where this wealth. The beads were worked as thick ropes, start-up platelet recovery ( scotia ) each wore a bead and reel, the Scotia itself was divided by a hoop from opposing line rods. With 32 alternately wider and narrower fluting the column shafts were broken, which according to Vitruvius (4, 5.2 ) should appear only on columns of internal orders. Exuberant and the capitals are decorated with their vegetal forms. In addition to the known acanthus occur laurel clump. Wave tendrils adorn the sides of the abacus. In addition, there is an egg and dart as the final profile at the top of the abacus.

The wealth was continued in the rafters. Thus, the festoon the architraves were decorated with accompanied by Kymatien bucrania and palmettes. The Architravseiten were divided into different levels of fascia, the uppermost of a pipe with a final egg and dart frieze wore. The frieze itself, the center took a thymiaterion, had a suspension made bucrania and laurel. The subsequent Konsolengeison was covered with acanthus leaves, egg bars, Perlstäben and laurel and lotus plants stylized Bügelkymatien. Only the side faces of the brackets remain undecorated. Between the Consoles cassette fields were, recorded the small rosettes in their midst. Only the Sima had no other decoration except the lion head gargoyles. This continued even on the gable sloping cornices framing the gable with a many-figured group equipped tympanum.

Interior decoration

Increased the wealth of the exterior in the design of the temple interior. Assorted colored marbles were used here in order to further enhance the various rich rhythmic orders and architectural elements. Playful aedicules with plenty of varied gable design - in addition to simple triangular gables gable segment and pagoda- shaped gables were used. This is on pedestals uplifting, about 2.10 meters wide and 0.90 meters deep aedicules were framed by two-story blend architectures pavonazzetto and Carrara marble. The cella was Eingedeckt by a slightly Vaulted ceiling, stucco whose remains are preserved abundant, although their affiliation has not been established for the construction of sosianischen construction, they could be rather attributed also a later repair.

The interior of the temple was furnished with works of art, the most important Pliny provides us:

• Several paintings of Aristides of Thebes ( Pliny, nat. Hist 34.99 )
• Several statues of Philiscus of Rhodes ( Pliny, nat. Hist 36.34 )
• An Apollo Kitharoidos of Timarchides ( Pliny, nat. hist 359)
• A statue of Apollo from cedar wood from Seleucia ( Pliny, nat. Hist 13.53 )
• A famous Niobidengruppe assigned in antiquity Scopas or Praxiteles ( Pliny, nat. Hist 36.28 )