Temple of Castor and Pollux

The Temple of Castor and Pollux (Templum Castorum or Aedes Castoris) introduced the Greek cult of the dioscuri into Rome, in its very heart, the Forum Romanum. It is located between Basilica Julia across the Vicus Tuscus, the Temple of Divus Julius, the Arch of Augustus and the Temple of Vesta.

The foundation of the temple is closely related to an ancient myth. The last, deposed king of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, and his allies, the Latins, waged war on the infant Roman Republic. It came to a battle near the Lake Regillus in c. 496 BCE.

The legend says that two able, but unknown horsemen helped the losing the Roman troops to victory, and immediately afterwards they were seen watering their horses at the Spring of Juturna in the Forum Romanum.

They were identified as the Dioscuri, and the dictator, Aulus Postumius Albinus, vowed to build a temple in their honour. The temple was finished by his son in 484 BC.

Castor’s temple was dedicated the same year, on the fifteenth of July. It had been vowed during the Latin war by Postumius, the dictator. His son, being made duumvir for this special purpose, dedicated it.
Livy, “Ab urbe condita”, book 2, 42 [5]

The archaic temple was completely reconstructed and enlarged in 117 BCE by L. Cecilius Metellus Dalmaticus after his victory over the Dalmatians. This second temple was again restored in 73 BCE by Gaius Verres.

In 14 BC the temple was destroyed by a fire that ravaged major parts of the forum, and it was rebuilt by Tiberius, then heir to the throne. Tiberius’ temple was dedicated in 6 CE. The remains visible today are from the temple of Tiberius, except the podium, which is from the time of Metellus.

In republican times the temple served as a meeting place for the senate, and from the middle of the 2nd century BCE the front of the podium served as a speakers platform. During the imperial period the temple housed the office for weights and measures, and was a depository for the State treasury.

The temple was peripteral, with eight Corinthian columns on the short sides and eleven on the long sides. There was a single cella, which was paved with mosaics. The podium measures 32×49.5m and 7m in height. It is constructed in opus caementicium and was originally covered with slabs of tufa, which were later removed. According to ancient sources the temple had a single central stairway to access the podium, but the excavations have identified two sideways stairs.

As many other buildings on the Forum Romanum, the temple has suffered destruction, looting and ruin since Antiquity. Today the podium survives without the facing, and of the temple proper remain only three columns and a piece of the architrave.

Links

LacusCurtius: Platner: A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome
LacusCurtius: Hülsen: Il Foro Romano – Storia e Monumenti
(Text in Italian)
Kalervo Koskimies: Vedute di Roma
(Many older images and some photos)

Livy on the battle of Lake Regillus (from The Perseus Digital Library):

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“…three beautiful columns which belong to a restoration of the Aedes Castorum or Temple of Castor and Pollux, dedicated by Postumius, B.C. 484. Here costly sacrifices were always offered in the ides of July, at the anniversary of the battle of the Lake Regillus, after which the Roman knights, richly clothed, crowned with olive, and bearing their trophies, rode past it in military procession, starting from the Temple of Mars outside the Porta Capena. The existing columns are part of the temple as rebuilt by Tiberius and Drusus with the spoils taken in Germany.^ The pedestal of the statue of Marcus Aurelius and the statue of Jonah in S. Maria del Popolo were formed from other columns. The entablature which the three columns support is of great richness, and the whole fragment is considered to be one of the finest existing specimens of the Corinthian order. None of the Roman ruins have given rise to more discussion than this. It has perpetually changed its name. Bunsen and many other authorities considered it to belong to the Temple of Minerva Chalcidica ; but as it is known that the position of the now discovered Basilica Julia was exactly between the Temple of Saturn and that of Castor, and a passage of Ovid describes the latter as being close to the site of the Temple of Vesta, which is also ascertained, it seems certain now that it belonged to the Temple of the Dioscuri. Dion Cassius mentions that Caligula made this temple a vestibule to his house on the Palatine. He used to appear himself for worship between the great twin brothers.- The temple was also frequently used for meetings of the senate…”

Augustus Hare, Walks in Rome. London 1871.

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Ron says:

Thank you !

“…three beautiful columns which belong to a restoration of the Aedes Castorum or Temple of Castor and Pollux, dedicated by Postumius, B.C. 484. Here costly sacrifices were always offered in the ides of July, at the anniversary of the battle of the Lake Regillus, after which the Roman knights, richly clothed, crowned with olive, and bearing their trophies, rode past it in military procession, starting from the Temple of Mars outside the Porta Capena. The existing columns are part of the temple as rebuilt by Tiberius and Drusus with the spoils taken in Germany.^ The pedestal of the statue of Marcus Aurelius and the statue of Jonah in S. Maria del Popolo were formed from other columns. The entablature which the three columns support is of great richness, and the whole fragment is considered to be one of the finest existing specimens of the Corinthian order. None of the Roman ruins have given rise to more discussion than this. It has perpetually changed its name. Bunsen and many other authorities considered it to belong to the Temple of Minerva Chalcidica ; but as it is known that the position of the now discovered Basilica Julia was exactly between the Temple of Saturn and that of Castor, and a passage of Ovid describes the latter as being close to the site of the Temple of Vesta, which is also ascertained, it seems certain now that it belonged to the Temple of the Dioscuri. Dion Cassius mentions that Caligula made this temple a vestibule to his house on the Palatine. He used to appear himself for worship between the great twin brothers.- The temple was also frequently used for meetings of the senate…”

Augustus Hare, Walks in Rome. London 1871.

21 March 2024 — 10:08