The Temple of Serapis

To the south-west of Piazza del Quirinale are the scant remains of a gigantic temple, today enclosed by buildings and not visible from the street. It has attracted much attention in the past centuries, but is not known to the general public today - because of its state of preservation and because that what remains is hidden. Rodolfo Lanciani has suggested that this was a Temple of Sol, known to have been dedicated by Aurelianus in 274 AD. This hypothesis ran into major obstacles, and scholars have for a long time preferred Christian Hülsen's suggestion, published in 1894, that it was a Temple of Serapis. The hypothesis is based on statues and inscriptions found near the temple, and the masonry of the remains of the staircase of the temple has been shown to belong to the Severan period. The temple would then be the one that is referred to in the late-antique regionary catalogues (Notitia and Curiosum) as templum Salutis and Serapis, "Temple of Health / Welfare and Serapis". It was assigned to the sole reign of Caracalla. In 1992 Riccardo Santangeli Valenzani proposed a different identification. Cassius Dio says that Septimius Severus built an immensely great temple of Bacchus and Hercules, protectors of his native city Lepcis Magna in Libya (Cassius Dio 76,16,3). Such a temple is however not mentioned in the regionary catalogues. Scholars are now inclined to think that the temple on the Quirinal was originally indeed the Temple of Bacchus and Hercules, but re-dedicated to Salus and Serapis by Caracalla.

Remains of the temple, seen from the Scuderie del Quirinale.
Photo: Wikimedia, Lalupa.

A list of all related evidence, ancient and modern, was published by Maria Cristina Capanna in 2021. Starting in the late 15th century dozens of drawings were made of the remains.

Plan and reconstruction of the temple by Sallustio Peruzzi, mid-16th century.
Image: census.bbaw.de.

Many objects found nearby have been linked to the temple: statues, architectural decoration, and inscriptions. Quite of a few of these objects have disappeared. On Piazza del Quirinale are statues of the Dioscures, Castor and Pollux. Two statues of reclining river gods were taken to Piazza del Campidoglio: one of the Nile, the other apparently of the Tigris, but later changed into the Tiber.

Statues of the Dioscures on Piazza del Quirinale.
Photo: Wikimedia, Jordiferrer.

Statue of the Tiber, originally Tigris, on Piazza del Campidoglio.
Photo: Wikimedia, lienyuan lee.

Among the other statues were a colossal Serapis and a very large seated Salus, a female figure with snakes. Perhaps a statue of Isis known as Madama Lucrezia, near Piazza Venezia, also belongs to the temple.

Statue of Isis known as Madama Lucrezia, on Piazza San Marco.
Photo: Wikimedia, Galzu.

Statue of a crocodile, now in the Palazzo Colonna.
Photo: La Torre della Dea.

A source from the 13th century calls the building Palacium Cornutorum, "Palace of the Horned Men", because of the presence of horned imagines. These must have represented the Egyptian deity Jupiter Ammon. There must also have been a bronze statue in the temple, as we can read in the story of the martyrdom of Felix and Adauctus. At the end of the third century, during the reign of Diocletianus and Maximianus, a clergyman called Felix was taken to the council chamber of a judge, next to the Temple of Serapis. When he was forced to sacrifice, he toppled a bronze statue (presumably of Serapis) by blowing in its face. This he repeated with statues of Mercurius and Diana.

Romae, via Ostiensi, miliario secundo ab urbe, natale beatissimorum martyrum Felicis et Adaucti, sub Diocletiano et Maximiano Imperatoribus, praefecto et iudice Dracco. Fuere autem duo fratres, nomine et opere Felices, ambo presbyteri. Horum senior Felix ex iussione imperatorum cum ad secretarium iudicis esset perductus iuxta templum Serapis, dum cogeretur ad sacrificandum, exsufflavit in faciem statuae aereae, et statim cecidit. Item ductus ad Mercurii statuam in aliam aediculam, simili modo in illam exsufflavit, et mox cecidit. Item ad simulacrum Dianae, quod pari modo deiecit.

Acta Sanctorum, August volume VI, page 546 E.

Reconstruction drawing of the pediment of the temple.
Image: Capanna 2021, fig. 9b.

The inscriptions are crucial for the identification and the dating. A marble base or altar carries a dedication to Serapis Conservator, "the deity under whose protection the house is". Presumably this is a reference to the Imperial house.

SERAPI CONSERVATORI	DEO [i]N CVIVS TVTELA DOMVS EST
Inscription found near the temple, now in Castel di Decima. EDR163000. Photos: EDR.

A Greek inscription records a dedication "for the safety of Emperor M. Aurelius Antoninus the Great Augustus, to Zeus Helios the Great Serapis" (IG XIV, 1024). Of great importance is an inscription that must have been 6 metres wide and 1.5 high:

SERAPIDI DEO [sancto] [Imp(erator) Caes(ar)] MARCVS AURELLIVS ANTONINV[s Pius Felix Aug(ustus) Parth(icus) max(imus) Brit(annicus) max(imus)] [pont]IFEX MAX(imus) TRIBVNIC(ia) POTE[s(tate) --- co(n)s(u)l --- p(ater) p(atriae) ---] AEDEM [---]

Inscription found near the temple, disappeared. EDR172398.

Caracalla, it seems, had built or restored an aedes, a temple. This cannot have been the primary dedicatory incription, because it is not big enough and did not have bronze letters. It may have been over the main entrance.