Quick Essay on the Temple of Saturn
Anonymous
March 19, 2013
Mr. -------, Mr. -------
Grand Tour
Temple of Saturn The Temple of Saturn was one of the most important structures in Roman society, because it signified all of their major values as a whole, in one place, and today the Temple stands in ruins, at the foot of Capitoline Hill, on the Western side of the Forum Romanum. The origin of the Temple of Saturn is hard to determine, since the only records we have are the reconstructions of the Temple, and not the date or period it was first made. Construction of the temple is thought to have begun in the later years of the Roman Kingdom under Tarquinius Superbus, but the first actual record that we have, is that it was reconstructed around 42 B.C., by Munatius Plancus. The current ruins that sit in Rome today are actually the ruins of the third reconstruction, which was built in 497 A.D., since the second was burned down by a fire in 283 A.D. The original purpose of the temple was simply a means for the Romans to worship their god, but this purpose was quickly built upon. Since the Romans attributed the Golden Age to the god of Saturn, they turned the Temple into the Roman Treasury as well. The third purpose attributed to the Temple of Saturn, was a place for the Romans to gather and celebrate their most famous holiday, Saturnalia. The Roman’s religion was the center of every aspect of their lives. Between household gods, and the gods that are seen throughout their mythology that they held dear to them-selves, the Roman’s essentially had a god for everything. The Temple of Saturn then, was a huge part of their lives, because it was first and foremost, a place of worship. The second major purpose of the Temple, which was to be a treasury, tied into the roman’s desire for riches and glory, which are arguably their sole purpose in everything they did. The Roman’s desire for glory is one of their most famous goals as a nation, from which many great achievements came. The Temple stood along with
March 19, 2013
Mr. -------, Mr. -------
Grand Tour
Temple of Saturn The Temple of Saturn was one of the most important structures in Roman society, because it signified all of their major values as a whole, in one place, and today the Temple stands in ruins, at the foot of Capitoline Hill, on the Western side of the Forum Romanum. The origin of the Temple of Saturn is hard to determine, since the only records we have are the reconstructions of the Temple, and not the date or period it was first made. Construction of the temple is thought to have begun in the later years of the Roman Kingdom under Tarquinius Superbus, but the first actual record that we have, is that it was reconstructed around 42 B.C., by Munatius Plancus. The current ruins that sit in Rome today are actually the ruins of the third reconstruction, which was built in 497 A.D., since the second was burned down by a fire in 283 A.D. The original purpose of the temple was simply a means for the Romans to worship their god, but this purpose was quickly built upon. Since the Romans attributed the Golden Age to the god of Saturn, they turned the Temple into the Roman Treasury as well. The third purpose attributed to the Temple of Saturn, was a place for the Romans to gather and celebrate their most famous holiday, Saturnalia. The Roman’s religion was the center of every aspect of their lives. Between household gods, and the gods that are seen throughout their mythology that they held dear to them-selves, the Roman’s essentially had a god for everything. The Temple of Saturn then, was a huge part of their lives, because it was first and foremost, a place of worship. The second major purpose of the Temple, which was to be a treasury, tied into the roman’s desire for riches and glory, which are arguably their sole purpose in everything they did. The Roman’s desire for glory is one of their most famous goals as a nation, from which many great achievements came. The Temple stood along with