tioned by Pliny as being on the Capitol; but P. Victor alone enumerates the " Temple of Jupiter Tonans dedicated by Augustus on the Clivus Capitolinus." Such are the authorities of ancient writers. The front of the building is exhibited on a medal extant with six columns; and the statue of the god, which Pliny mentions as the "chef-d'œuvre" of Leocras 175, is seen standing in the midst. It was long ago ascertained by architectural observers, that this ruin would just admit six columns in front 176; but the excavations have now put that beyond a doubt. Pliny remarks that the marble walls of this temple were laid in solid masses 177; and this too coincides with the vestiges that remain: witness the lower mouldings of the substruction parallel to the temple of Concord, and the marble basement of one of the columns. On the frieze is still seen the "Galerus 178," crowned by lightning, as worn by the "Flamen Dialis," or priest of Jupiter: from all which we see it would be unreasonable to doubt of this being the temple of Jupiter Tonans; for every circumstance that can prove the authenticity of a monument, except the very inscription, is found to answer.

When the French, in 1811, began to disinter

and because Augustus consecrated it; but especially τ πρóτ οἱ ἀνίοντες ἐς τὸ Καπιζώλιον ἐνετύγχανον. Dion. lib. lvi. p. 733. tom. i.

175 Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xxxiv. cap. 8.

176 Vide, Raccolta delle più Insigni Fabbriche di Roma da Valadier e Vicenzo Feoli; and compare Palladio, lib. iv. сар. 19. p. 70.; and Piranesi, Antichit. &c. tom. i. p. 33.; Milizia, Rom. p. 38.

177 Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xxxvi. cap. 6.

178 "Quam nos fausse perruque' vulgo dicimus." Vide Stephan. Thesaur. in Galerum vel Galerus.

these columns, they were, as we have observed, buried nearly up to the capitals, and leaned as if they had been rocked from their foundations by an earthquake. An incision was first made in the ground below, to ascertain upon what the columns stood; and it was discovered that the basements of the two on the flank had been taken away at some period unknown, by means of perforating the ground. They therefore first secured the shafts of the columns by scaffolding, taking off the entablature; then they restored the basements with travertine stone, as they now exist; and, finally, took away the soil, and replaced the entablature: but the original basement of the third column had fortunately survived; and in it were observed the marks of steps ascending by the intercolumniations. Upon this authority the six steps of travertine were put in as they now appear. This expedient is easily accounted for from the contiguity of the paved ascent, which rendered it impracticable to have a flight of steps in front, as would otherwise have been the case. The ascents were, therefore, at each end of the elevation: they first led to a narrow parapet in front of the six columns, and then by the steps of the intercolumniations conducted to the pronaon. The platform was adapted to the inequality of the ground: it required an elevation of ten or twelve feet on the side nearest the cella of Concord, but on the other flank scarcely any substruction would be necessary; consequently, a larger flight of steps was requisite on one side than on the other. We mentioned a wing of this substruction which seemed to interfere with the uniformity of the adjacent temple already described a piece of a modillion standing in its

place, on a line of stone, indicates the fact. The temple of Concord, here contracting its width in forming the pronaon, left a small place clear which the Italians call a Piazzetta; and there is still left some of its travertine pavement. It was probably here where the statues of Castor and Pollux stood, the works of Hegias; for Pliny observes they were before the temple.179 This cannot mean in front of it, because of the Clivus. The Piazzetta afforded, at the same time, room for the lateral steps of both temples to expand. Want of space alone was the cause of these expedients; and the whole is sufficiently indicated in a fragment of the Pianta Capitolina, of which we annex a sketch.180 It will also be found useful in examining the other porticos.

OR DIA

179Et Castor et Pollux ante adem Jovis Tonantis."- Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xxxiv. cap. 8.

180 The letters are evidently a part of the word CONCORDIA.

On each flank of our temple it is calculated there were eight columns, which brought the end of the building close up to the foundations of the Capitol; and there is still left much of the brick-work which belonged to the interior of the cella, having formed the main altar and the niche at the end. More than this it would be tedious to describe in writing, without the aid of architectural illustrations: we shall, therefore, refer for the ground-plan of these temples to our "Plan of the Roman Forum," &c. At the same time, the Ichnography and the various fragments have been so accurately and judiciously adjusted, that, to any one on the spot, the buildings on the Clivus will be comprehensible upon a slight inspection. Besides the statues already enumerated, Pliny mentions 181 a celebrated Jupiter of bronze, made by Polycletus. Our attention must now be directed for a moment to the entablature on the frieze of the flank. Besides the Flamen's cap, there are several instruments of sacrifice sculptured; and in front remain the letters ESTITVER, being part of the word Restituére. This naturally suggests the question, Who restored it? From its situation there can be no doubt it suffered in the conflagration of the Capitol, which took place in the civil war of Otho and Vitellius; and therefore we may suppose Vespasian to have made the first restoration. The style of the ornaments and the general construction answer to a no less flourishing period of the arts; but the restorers (for the verb indicates there were more than one) of the second accident or decay were most probably Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla: for Mabillon's Ano

181 Nat. Hist. lib. xxxiv. cap. 2.

nymous (amongst the inscriptions he read on the Capitol) gives one with the names of those emperors joined to the word "RESTITUERUNT." This temple has evidently been destroyed by the plundering hands of the Romans, who, at some period too remote for detection, had taken away the marble either to reduce to lime, or to employ whole in their barbarous habitations!

The remains of our third temple consist in a front portico of eight granite columns, raised on a platform built up of travertine stone, to meet the inequality of the Clivus. On the architrave, which is confounded with the frieze, is read an inscription, bearing that the senate and Roman people restored the building after it had been consumed by fire. This restoration must have taken place at a period when all science and taste in architecture were lost. The columns are of different diameters, and bid defiance to all proportion; the bases are dissimilar in their mouldings; the capitals, purporting to be Ionic, are true to no order, and diversified in their ornaments; the decorations of the frieze in the interior, though rich, are unmeaning; the materials of which the pediment has been built are an ungracious mixture of brick, travertine, and marble; the two side columns are of Egyptian granite, whilst the other six are of grey, -the whole evidently made up of the spoils of other edifices: the foundations only are original, and may be illustrated by the Pianta Capitolina.192 The direction of the Clivus caused the space in front of the steps (the profanum) to be irregular; and to give it an air of uniformity,

182 Compare the sketch of the fragment, p. 409.