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Maxentian Innovations at the Temple of Venus and Roma

Cazzato, Antonio
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Abstract
This paper is an analysis of the architectural and material innovations carried out during the restoration of the Temple of Venus and Roma and how they might represent the political program of the Emperor Maxentius. By tracing the cult of Roma, from its beginnings in the Greek provinces of the Roman Republic to its solidification in the capital during the High Empire, this work highlights the significance of the Late Antique reconstruction of the Temple of Venus and Roma. Maxentius carried out several public works, but none of them were as deeply rooted in the identity of the city as the Temple of Venus and Roma, which had existed as a monument to Rome’s foundations since it’s inauguration in the early second century CE. Maxentius used the symbolic power of the temple to represent his authority as emperor. The source of Maxentius’ legitimacy was rooted in his imperial seat at the capital. In the fourth century, when Rome had long been abandoned as an imperial seat, an emperor ruling from Rome was a welcome return to tradition for the city. Through the recognition of architectural patterns of other temples in the Imperial Fora, clear influences are present in the reconstructed temple which signal the political motivations of Maxentius. Maxentius refashioned the Temple of Venus and Roma to more closely resemble the apsidal temples of previous well-remembered emperors, and decorated the interior to signal his authority. Through the use of red porphyry, a stone which was a symbol of the emperor’s authority, Maxentius transformed the cellae of the new temple into a decidedly imperial space. From this analysis it can be posited that the interventions in the temple by Maxentius were meant to buttress his position as legitimate ruler by aligning himself with previous emperors and establishing physical ties to the city of Rome.
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Master of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2024.
Date
2024
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Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, Emperor of Rome, -312, Roman architecture
Citation
Cazzato, Antonio. "Maxentian Innovations at the Temple of Venus and Roma". Master's Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2024.
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