Probus
–
Roman Emperor
: 276-282
A.D. –
Silvered Bronze Antoninianus 22mm (2.96 grams)
Rome mint
281 A.D.
Reference: RIC 183, C 533
IMPPROBVSPFAVG – Radiate bust left, wearing imperial
mantle, holding scepter with eagle atop.
ROMAEAETER Exe: R (thunderbolt) Δ
– Temple with six columns; Roma seated within.
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are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a
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Authenticity.
The Temple of Venus and of Rome (Latin:
Templum Veneris et Romae) was the largest known
temple
in
Ancient Rome
. Located
at the far east side of the
Forum Romanum
near the
Colosseum
, it was
dedicated to the goddesses
Venus Felix
(Venus the
Bringer of Good Fortune) and
Roma Aeterna
(Eternal
Rome). The architect was the
emperor
Hadrian
. Construction
of the temple began in 121. It was officially
inaugurated by Hadrian in 135, and finished in 141 under
Antoninus Pius
. Damaged
by fire in 307, it was restored with alterations by the
emperor
Maxentius
.
History
In order to build the temple, erected on the remnants
of
Emperor Nero
‘s
Domus Aurea
, the
Colossus of Nero
was
moved and placed near the
amphitheatre
, which
shortly afterwards became known as the
Colosseum
. Unimpressed
by his emperor’s architectural skills,
Hadrian
‘s most
brilliant architect,
Apollodorus
, made a
scornful remark on the size of the seated statues within
the cellae, saying that they would surely hurt their
heads if they tried to stand up from their thrones.
Apollodorus was banished and executed not long after
this.
Further restoration was performed under
Eugenius
, a short-lived
usurper
(392-394)
against
Theodosius I
, whose
policy was the restoration of Pagan cults and temples.
Temple of Venus and Roma seen from the
Colosseum.
A severe earthquake at the beginning of the 9th
century unfortunately destroyed the temple once again.
Around 850
Pope Leo IV
ordered the
building of a new church,
Santa Maria Nova
, on
the ruins of the temple. After a major rebuilding in
1612, this church was renamed Santa Francesca Romana,
incorporating Roma’s cella as the
belltower
.
Over the centuries most of the columns surrounding
the temple disappeared. Presently only a few remain
standing in their original positions, while others that
have gone missing have been replaced by
buxus
trees.
Architecture
Set on a
stylobate
measuring
145 metres (476 ft) in length and 100 metres (328 ft) in
width, and stood 29.5 metres (97 ft) tall, being 31 metres
(102 ft) counting the statues, the
peristyle
(also
peripteral) building measured 110 metres (361 ft) in
length and 53 metres (174 ft) in width. The temple
itself consisted of two main chambers (cellae),
each housing a cult statue of a god—Venus,
the goddess of love, and
Roma
, the goddess of
Rome
, both figures
seated on a throne. The cellae were arranged
symmetrically back-to-back. Roma’s cella faced west,
looking out over the Forum Romanum, and Venus’ cella
faced east, looking out over the Colosseum. A row of
four
columns
(tetrastyle)
lined the entrance to each cella, and the temple was
bordered by
colonnaded
entrances
ending in staircases that led down to the Colosseum.
The west and east sides of the temple (the short
sides) had ten white columns (decastyle),
and the south and north (the long sides) featured
eighteen white columns. All of these columns measured
1.8 metres (6 ft) in width, making the temple very
imposing.
A reconstruction of the temple interior by German
Architect Josef Bühlmann from 1913 depicts two
longitudinal colonnades of
Corinthian
columns
forming a central
nave
flanked by two
aisles
below a
coffered
vaulted
ceiling.
Resting on the columns a double impost forms a double
entablature
extending
back into the
exedra
, with a
cofferred half-dome
ceiling above the seated statue. The walls behind the
aisles are inset with smaller columns standing some
distance above the floor on a plinth. Small statues set
in
niches
between these
columns punctuate the walls, the niches surmounted by
alternating
arched
and triangular
pediments
. More small
statues are positioned on the
entablature
above each
small column.
As an additional clever subtlety by Hadrian, Venus
also represented love (Amor in Latin), and “AMOR”
is “ROMA” spelled backwards. Thus, placing the two
divinities of Venus and Rome back-to-back in a single
temple created a further symmetry with the back-to-back
symmetry of their names as well. Within Venus’ cella was
another altar where newly wed couples could make
sacrifices. Directly adjacent to this altar stood
gigantic silver statues of
Marcus Aurelius
and
Faustina the Younger
.
Use
of the Temple today
Canopy erected at the Temple of Venus and
Rome during Good Friday ceremonies.
Since the papacy of John Paul II, the heights of the
temple and its position opposite the main entrance to
the Colosseum have been used to good effect as a public
address platform. This may be seen in the photograph
below where a red canopy has been erected to shelter the
Pope as well as an illuminated cross, on the occasion of
the Good Friday ceremony. The Pope, either
personally or through a representative, leads the
faithful through meditations on the stations of the
cross while a cross is carried from there to the
Colosseum.
In
traditional Roman religion
, Roma was a female
deity
who
personified the city of Rome
and more broadly, the Roman state. Her image appears on the base of the
column of Antoninus Pius
. Roma, formerly queen of almost the whole
earth. Horace (L. iv. od. 3) calls her the prince of cities; and according to
Martial (L. xii. epig. 8) she is terrarum dea gentiumque.
Marcus
Aurelius Probus
(c. August 19,
232–September/October, 282) was a
Roman Emperor
(276–282).
A native of
Sirmium
(now
Sremska Mitrovica
,
Serbia
), in
Pannonia
, at an early age he entered the army, where
he distinguished himself under the Emperors
Valerian
,
Aurelian
and
Tacitus
. He was appointed governor of the East by
Tacitus, at whose death he was immediately proclaimed
his successor by the soldiers (276).
Florianus
, who had claimed to succeed his
half-brother Tacitus, was put to death by his own troops
after an indecisive campaign. Probus moved to the West,
defeated the Goths acquiring the title of Gothicus
(280), and saw his position ratified by the
Senate
.
The reign of Probus was mainly spent
in successful wars by which he re-established the
security of all the frontiers. The most important of
these operations were directed to clearing
Gaul
of German invaders (Franks,
Longiones
,
Alamanni
and
Burgundians
), allowing Probus to adopt the titles of
Gothicus Maximus and Germanicus Maximus.
One of his principles was never to allow the soldiers to
be idle, and to employ them in time of peace on useful
works, such as the planting of vineyards in Gaul,
Pannonia and other districts, in order to restart the
economy in these devastated lands.
In 279–280, Probus was, according to
Zosimus
, in
Raetia
,
Illyricum
and
Lycia
, where he fought the
Vandals
. In the same years, Probus’ generals
defeated the
Blemmyes
in
Egypt
; Probus ordered the reconstruction of bridges
and canals along the Nile, where the production of grain
for the Empire was centered.
In 280–281, Probus had also put down
three usurpers,
Julius Saturninus
,
Proculus
and
Bonosus
. The extent of these revolts is not clear,
but there are clues that they were not just local
problems.
In 281, the emperor was in Rome, where he celebrated his
triumph
.
Probus was eager to start his eastern
campaign, delayed by the revolts in the west. He left
Rome in 282, moving first towards Sirmium, his birth
city, when the news that
Marcus Aurelius Carus
, commander of the
Praetorian Guard
, had been proclaimed emperor
reached him. Probus sent some troops against the new
usurper, but when those troops changed sides and
supported Carus, Probus’s soldiers then assassinated him
(September/October 282).
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