8 THE ATRIUM VESTZ. 
the Palatine, pushed out above and beyond them. The structural unit, 
therefore, of which the walls of the upper stories form a part, must be of a 
period later than that of these rooms, which are of the time of Hadrian. The 
immediate successors of Hadrian, in fact, the Antonines, especially Lucilla, 
were liberal benefactors of the Vestals.1_ With the architecture of their time, 
moreover, that of the new building is in agreement.” We may, therefore, 
conclude that the additions to the Atrium by which the eastern half of the 
building was completed are to be assigned to the period of the Antonines 
and are probably in a large part the work of Lucilla. 
The Atrium of the Fifth Period: During the reign of Commodus the 
precinct of Vesta suffered again from fire. In this case the fire entered the 
Atrium from the side towards the temple, which was, as we know, almost 
totally destroyed by it. The injury affected most seriously, therefore, the 
western and northwestern rooms, the inner walls of which were burned 
almost to the ground.*? The rooms on the east and south, however, escaped 
injury. The restoration following this partial destruction marks the last 
fixed stage in the development of the Atrium.* In connection with this 
restoration the Atrium-court on the west was extended to the east by the 
destruction of the walls separating it from the earlier garden® and by the 
lowering of the level of the garden to that of the court. Discussion of the 
exact period at which this restoration took place is rendered needless by the 
peculiar nature of the brickwork, which is that accepted without question 
as of the time of Septimius' Severus. Julia Domna, the wife of Septimius 
and a well-known patroness of the Vestals, rebuilt the temple.® It is likely 
therefore, that the restoration of the Atrium was also her work. 
After the time of Julia Domna, though the Atrium shared in the vicissitudes 
which befell the buildings in its vicinity, the restorations and additions were 
of comparatively small importance and can not be assigned to any certain 
period. 
! The coins of the period are numerous. Cohen ‘ Plan E. 
Faustine Mére, 285-293, 318; Marc Auréle *See p. 43. The extension of the court may be of 
et Lucius Verus, 2; Faustine Feune, 284- the preceding period, but the weight of 
286; Lucille, 92; Crispine, 45. It is as- evidence is rather in favor of the view here 
sumed that the famous medallion of Lucilla given. 
refers to a restoration of the temple. It is ° This is clear from the coins of the period, as well 
unlikely that the temple was restored by 
her. It is possible that the medallion was 
struck instead, in token of assistance given 
the Vestals in the completion of the Atrium. 
* Unfortunately very little masonry of the time of 
the Antonines remains. 
3 See plan E. 
as from other testimony. Coins represent- 
ing the temple: Cohen, Fulie Domne, 232- 
244. Coins representing Vesta: /.c¢., 220- 
231, 245-248. It is likely that the temple at 
least was not completed, since there are 
coins of Caracalla (/. c., Caracalla, 249-251) 
on which it appears. 
