E. J. SEWELL, ESQ., ON POMPEII. 



129 



religious thought. It is the temple of Jupiter which towers 

 above the nortli end of the area of the Forum. This temple 

 dates from some centuries after the temple of Apollo, and 

 enthrones the deities of the Eoman Capitol, Jupiter, Juno, and 

 Minerva. The temple itself was left in rums by the earthquake 

 of A.D. 63, and had not been rebuilt at the time of the eruption 

 of Vesuvius in a.d. 79. There exists, however, in one of the 

 Pompeian houses a relief representing the north side of the 

 Forum, and showing this temple so that we can restore the 

 buildino^ with o-reat confidence. 



In the cella of this temple there was found a head of Jupiter, 

 and also an inscription of the year a.d. 37, containing a dedica- 

 tion to Jupiter Optimus Maxim us, the ruling deity of the 

 Capitol at Kome. As the Koman colonies strove to be, in all 

 things, Eome in miniature, each colony thought it necessary to 

 have a Capitolium — a temple for the w^orship of the gods of the 

 Eoman Capitol, Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, and this naturally 

 became the most important temple in the city, and exemplifies 

 one important phase of religious worship in a Eoman town. 



It has been mentioned that a head of Jupiter was found in 

 the cella of this temple. The conception embodied in it is 

 very characteristic. The profusion of hair and beard symbolizes 

 power, and the face shows great force of will, but it is well 

 dominated by alert and all-embracing mind. The forehead 

 expands in a broad arch, the eyes, wide open, look out under 

 sharply cut brows. This deity is not represented as lost in any 

 mystical self-contemplation ; but rather as following, with the 

 closest attention, the course of events in some distant place. 

 The ideal of this artist was the wise and powerful king, whose 

 watchful and protective eye sees to the furthest limits of his 

 kingdom. 



There could be no self-evolved conception of a deity more 

 appropriate to the practical Eoman mind, the mind of a race of 

 soldiers, administrators, and rulers of men. 



On the eastern side of the Forum is the temple of Vespasian : 

 this temple was built for the first time after the earthquake of 

 A.D. 63, and was in process of erection at the time of the eruption 

 in A.D. 79. 



The subject of Emperor-worship, of which w^e are led to 

 think by the presence in the Forum of this temple, is one which 

 might itself form the subject of a separate paper for the Victoria 

 Institute. Only three things may be briefly mentioned about it. 

 This temple was of quite recent construction. It was built after 

 the earthquake in a.d. 63, and, since Vespasian's tenure of the 



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