22: The Temple of Concord

Update: 2020-09-20

Description

The Temple of Concord is the site of a series of shrines dedicated to the Roman goddess Concordia, and erected at the western end of the Roman Forum. The earliest temple is believed to have been vowed by Marcus Furius Camillus in 367 BCE, but it may not have been built until 218 BCE.

The temple which had been occasionally repaired was completey rebuilt by Emperor Tiberius and dedicated in the year 10 after the original had been burnt down following a lightning strike. Tiberius paid for the construction with the spoils of his and his brother Drusus’ highly successful campaigns conquering and pillaging across vast areas of Germania.

The early version of the temple was similar to the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux with steps leading up through lines of columns supporting a pediment that led to the entrance doors and a long and narrow main cella.

However Tiberius’ version was quite different as the temple expanded sideways with the main cella being wide rather than long – in part this was necessary because of the space limitations at the foot of the Capitoline hill and the fact that is was sited at the foot of the Tabularium. Its sideways expansion meant it ate into the space that had been occupied by the Basilica Opimia (sited to the left of the original building when looking from the path that runs in front of the Arch of Septimius Severus).