Temple of Castor and Pollux, Ancient temple in Roman Forum, Italy
The Temple of Castor and Pollux is represented by three tall fluted columns of pale beige stone with Corinthian capitals, standing on a dark, irregular base of stone blocks and rubble that includes an arched opening. The columns support a cracked entablature; the podium measures 32 by 49.5 metres and is 7 metres high. The visible columns belong to the rebuilding by Tiberius, while the podium dates from the time of Metellus.
The ruin dates from a rebuilding that Emperor Tiberius completed in the year 6 after Christ following a fire. Earlier versions of the structure go back to the 5th century before Christ, when Roman troops won an important battle.
Each 15 July, Roman knights rode in the transvectio equitum past the temple, commemorating the Battle of Lake Regillus; up to 5,000 young men carried shields and spears, led by two riders on white horses representing Castor and Pollux. The temple also housed the office of weights and measures, with a table of lengths and weights set in the pronaos, and bankers kept premises around it.
The three columns stand on the east side of the Forum, between the Vicus Tuscus and the Spring of Juturna, with the Temple of Vesta nearby. The podium is 32 by 49.5 metres and 7 metres high, and its facing is gone, so the surviving core is visible. The columns are reached on foot through the Forum; the base is irregular rubble and the ground uneven.
The raised platform served Roman speakers as a stage from which they addressed the crowd. Later, money changers used the sheltered space beneath the platform to verify coins and conduct business.
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