Location
The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (141 CE) is located on the east side of the Roman Forum, on the Via Sacra (Sacred Way). It sits just north of the Regia (the residence of the king during the monarchic period), as well as the House of the Vestal Virgins, and the Temples of Caesar, Vesta, and Castor. [1] To its east, are the Domus Publica and the Basilica of Maxentius; to its west are the Portico of Caius and Lucius Caesar, and the Temple of the deified Julius. This location held significant meaning for the temple’s dedication. The buildings surrounding it were considered sacred, as they represented memories of the Republic and the early empire. [2] Thus, after the dedication of the temple, the proximity to these older buildings linked Antoninus and Faustina with the cults of the Republic. For example, as the Temple of Caesar was nearby, passersby might have compared the Julio-Claudian and Antonine dynasties. Moreover, in this location, Faustina joined the ancient deities of Rome; with Vesta nearby, who represented the security of the Roman household, she ensured the continuing stability of the imperial family. Moreover, she symbolized the family’s care for lower class citizens. [3]
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1. Marta Chiara Guerrieri, “The Roman Forum,” in Archaeological Guide to Rome, ed. Adriano La Regina (Milan: Mondadori Electa S.p.a., 2004): 33.
2. Gilbert J. Gorski and James E. Packer, The Roman Forum: A Reconstruction and Architectural Guide (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015): 43.
3. Gilbert and Packer, The Roman Forum, 43.