THE IMPERIAL ATRIUM OF THE SECOND PERIOD. 23 
the windows of the second story. It is more probable that the colonnade 
was composed of two rows of columns,’ one above the other, the lower one 
of which was from 5 to 6 meters in height? and the upper somewhat less. 
There was no upper floor corresponding to the intermediate entablature,’ 
since the columns of the lower arcade were not sufficiently high to carry 
it to a level above the windows of the lower story. The floor would, more- 
over, have cut off the light almost wholly from the inner corridor. There 
were in each story thirty-two columns.‘ The travertine foundations on 
which the bases of these rested have been in large part preserved. The 
intercolumnar spaces vary slightly, increasing towards the east of the atrium 
from 3.30 to 3.43 meters. The variation is, however, not regular.® In the 
center of the court was a basin® into which steps descended from either end. 
The water contained in this basin was for the ordinary uses of the house- 
hold.” That designed for use in the rites connected with the temple worship 
was kept in the rooms set aside for the cult.* The entrance into the Atrium 
was from the area in front of the temple. The door which had in the pre- 
ceding period led directly from the street on the north was closed by one 
of the newer walls.® Between the posts of the new door and the columns 
opposite there was, on either side, a single column, which supported possibly 
a vaulted vestibule. Beyond the main entrance was a smaller door which 
led directly into the sacred precinct of the temple.’? This was closed later 
by the erection of the edicula.™ 
The rooms on the south belonging to the preceding period” were not 
altered at this time, except by the addition possibly of the small posts in 
front of the ale,” by which these rooms were separated a trifle more from 
the corridor outside. The remaining rooms, on the north and west, may be 
divided into two groups.* ‘The group on the north, which replaced the 
earlier rooms opening directly upon the court, consisted mainly of two large 
rooms” united by a narrow corridor,’ from which opened three or possibly 
1 Jordan, Der Tempel der Vesta, 37. 6Plan B, 0. The basin was 14 meters long, 4 
2 The height of the columns has been estimated 
from the size of the travertine blocks on 
which their bases rested. The marble bases 
and columns which have been found belong 
to a much later period. They do not, how- 
ever, differ materially, in all probability, 
from those of the earlier colonnade. 
3 There was a similar col onnade in the building of 
Eumachia at Pompeii (Mau-Kelsey, Pom- 
peii, 113-114). 
4 The number of columns at the sides of the colon- 
nade is twelve, that at the ends, six. Jordan 
(/.c.) holds, though in my opinion without 
sufficient reason, that the occurrence of the 
number six is not without significance. 
5 Schulze (Jordan, /.c.) considers the variance due 
to regard for perspective. The size of the 
earlier Atrium at least is not such as to 
warrant this conclusion. See pp. 43-44 for 
further discussion. 
meters wide and 5 deep. The upper part 
has been restored. 
7 No water could be used for the sacred rites except 
such as had been brought fresh from foun- 
tains or running streams in vessels specially 
prescribed for the purpose. See p.27. The 
basin, on the other hand, was supplied with 
water drawn from ordinary sources and 
conducted into the Atrium through lead 
pipes. 
8 Plan B, 24-27. 
9Plan B. The wall between 2 and 4. 
10See plan B. This inclosure was not entered by 
the public. 
a Pani Gr kee 
2Plan B, 10-15. 
18Plan B, 12 and 14. 
4Plan B, 1-73 15-28. 
Plan B, 2 and 7. 
16Plan B, 3. 
