Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus

 

The temple foundation is said to have been initiated by the fifth Tarquin King, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, but later completed by Rome's last Tarquin King, Lucius Tarquinius 509 BC in Capitoline hill. Is considered the most important religious center in rome it was decorated with terra cotta sculptures , the most important of them was the one in which the god jupiter was sitting in a chariot specifically a quadriga. This temple caused troubles since the beginning the dimension and plan of this temple caused a big debated . This place is full of very peculiar events. To start , the tour guide told us that this place was rebuilt three times. The first disaster came in the year of 83 AD during the dictatorship of Sulla one of the most important lost that left this fire are the sibylline Books. Sulla demand immediately for the temple to be rebuilt but could not see it finished because he died on the year of 78 Bc. Quintus Lutatius Catulus was the person incharged to finished the temple they used the same plan but this time they used more expensive materials superstructure. Again the temple was destructed in 69 AD when an army forced it enter looking for domitian. The new emperor vespian gave the order to reconstructed it he dedicated it to jupiter in 75 AD. During the reign of titus the temple was again destroyed by fire. The last time they reconstructed the building was by the order of domitian this time they used gold to build it. A characterictic i found is that all of the reconstruction were base on the same foundation they always kept the same designed. This temple supposedly lasted until the fifth century for more than four hundred years.

 

 

 The photo above give you and image of how the temple of jupiter look in it early years

 

 

 

 the photo above shows how the temple of jupiter is now in days