The Cult Statues of the Pantheon

Thomas, Edmund

Abstract

This article reconsiders the possible statuary of the Pantheon in Rome, both in its original Augustan form and in its later phases. It argues that the so-called ‘Algiers Relief’ has wrongly been connected with the Temple of Mars Ultor and is in fact evidence of the association of the Divus Julius with Mars and Venus in the Pantheon of Agrippa, a juxtaposition which reflects the direction of Augustan ideology in the 20s b.c. and the building's celestial purpose. This triple statue group became the focus of the later Pantheon, and its importance is highlighted by the hierarchized system of architectural ornament of the present building.

Citation

Thomas, E. (2017). The Cult Statues of the Pantheon. The Journal of Roman Studies, 107, 146-212. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075435817000314

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 23, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jun 22, 2017
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jul 27, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 27, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Roman Studies
• Print ISSN: 0075-4358
• Electronic ISSN: 1753-528X
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 107
• Pages: 146-212
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0075435817000314
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1350784