A ''Capitolium'' (Latin) was an
ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–50 ...
temple dedicated to the
Capitoline Triad
The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...
of gods
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...
,
Juno and
Minerva
Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the R ...
. A capitolium was built on a prominent area in many cities in Italy and the Roman provinces, particularly during the
Augustan and
Julio-Claudian
, native_name_lang=Latin, coat of arms=Great_Cameo_of_France-removebg.png, image_size=260px, caption= The Great Cameo of France depicting emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius and Nero, type=Ancient Roman dynasty, country= Roman Empire, estates=* ...
periods. Most had a triple ''
cella'', one for each god.
The first capitolium was on the
Capitoline Hill
The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome.
The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. ...
in Rome and was considered the centre of the city, where it meant the Temple of
Jupiter Optimus Maximus and afterwards the Latin word was used for the whole hill.
The earliest known example outside of Italy was at
Emporion (now Empúries, Spain).
[Blagg, T.F.C. (1990). "The temple at ]Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
( Aquae Sulis) in the context of classical temples in the western European provinces" (pp. 426–427). ''Journal of Roman Archaeology'' 3 (pp. 419–430).
Examples of ''capitolia'' are:
*
Capitolium Vetus (Rome)
*
Temple of Jupiter (Pompeii)
The Temple of Jupiter, Capitolium, or Temple of the Capitoline Triad, was a temple in Roman Pompeii, at the north end of its forum. Initially dedicated to Jupiter alone, it was built in the mid-2nd century BC at the same time as the temple of A ...
* Capitolium of
Minturnae
* Capitolium of
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica ("Ancient Ostia") is a large archaeological site, close to the modern town of Ostia, that is the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, 25 kilometres (15 miles) southwest of Rome. "Ostia" (plur. of "ostium") is a derivation ...
*
Capitolium of Brixia (Brescia)
*
Capitoline Temple
The Capitoline Temple is an ancient monument located in the old city of Volubilis in Fès-Meknès, Morocco. It dates from the Roman era, and was situated in the ancient Kingdom of Mauretania.
The building incorporates a tetrastyle architectural de ...
at Volubilis
* Capitolium of
Cosa
References
{{reflist
Jupiter (mythology)
Minerva
Ancient Roman architecture