VII.4.1 Pompeii. Temple of Fortuna Augusta.

Excavated 1823, 1826 and 1859. Restored 1908.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii, on left. September 2005.  Via del Foro, looking south.      VII.5 on right.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2011. Looking east along Via della Fortuna showing the Temple on the right.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. About 1909, looking east towards crossroads outside entrance.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. Between 1867 and 1874, looking east towards crossroads outside entrance.

Photo by Sommer and Behles. Photo courtesy of Charles Marty.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. 1870. Looking east towards crossroads outside entrance.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. July 2011. Looking south-east from crossroads towards entrances.

Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. May 2010.  Looking east from Via del Foro. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east from Via del Foro. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.

Two small staircases of four steps led up from the via on each end. These led to a platform and were on either side of a rectangular altar.

After this platform another nine steps led up to the pronaos or entrance hall to the temple.

These steps were all found in a ruined state, but the ones on the left had been restored by the time Breton wrote in 1870.

Originally this podium would have had four white marble Corinthian columns across its façade, together with another column and pillar behind on either side.

Three capitals from these columns have been found, together with other architectural elements all in white marble.

See Breton, Ernest. 1870. Pompeia, Guide de visite a Pompei, 3rd ed. Paris, Guerin.

VII.4.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Entrance on Via del Foro.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east onto podium.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Podium, looking east to cella, or sacred area.

 

The following inscription was found on the architrave of the sanctuary.

According to Warscher in 1930, this architrave could be read by any visitor knowing latin, as it was lying with other marble pieces on the floor of the cella.

See Warscher, T., 1930. Pompeii: in three hours. Rome: Industria Tipografica Imperia, (p.55)

 

M(arcus) Tullius  M(arci)  f(ilius)  d(uum)v(ir)  i(ure)  d(icundo) ter(tium)  quinq(uennalis)  augur  tr(ibunus)  mil(itum)

a  pop(ulo)  aedem  Fortunae  August(ae) solo  et  peq(unia!)  sua       [CIL X 820] 

 

This was the Temple’s dedicatory inscription and according to Cooley translates to -

 

Marcus Tullius, son of Marcus. Duumvir with judicial power three times, quinquennial, augur, military tribune by popular demand, (built) the Temple of Augustan Fortune on his own land and at his own expense.

See Cooley, A. and M.G.L., 2004. Pompeii : A Sourcebook. London : Routledge. (p.93)

 

In February 1824 it was reported that various fragments of statues and four inscriptions upon different pieces of marble were also found: they were -

 

[M(arcus)  Tulli]us  M(arci)  f(ilius)  d(uum)v(ir)  i(ure)  d(icundo)  III

[qui]nq(uennalis)  aug(ur)  trib(unus)  mil(itum)

a  populo  [aedem  Fortunae  August(ae)  solo  et peq(unia!)  sua]      [CIL X 822]    MN 3853

 

[Augu]sto  Caesari

[...]  parenti  patriae     [CIL X 823]   MN 3810

 

Agathemerus  Vetti

Suavis  Caesiae  Prim(a)e

Pothus  Numitori

Anteros  Lacutulani

minist(ri)  prim(ae)  Fortun(ae) Aug(ustae)  iuss(u)

M(arci)  Stai  Rufi  Cn(aei)  Melissaei  d(uum)v(irorum)  i(ure)  d(icundo)

P(ublio)  Silio  L(ucio)  Volusio  Saturn(ino)  co(n)s(ulibus)     [CIL X 824]  MN 3768.   

 

Tauro  Statilio

Ti(berio)  Platilio(!)  Aelian(o)  co(n)s(ulibus)

L(ucius)  Statius  Faustus  pro

signo  quod  e  lege  Fortunae

Augustae  minist(r)orum  ponere

debebat  referente  Q(uinto)  Pompeio  Amethysto

quaestore  basis(!)  duas  marmorias  decrever[u]nt

pro  signo  poniret (!)       [CIL X 825]   MN3769

 

See PAH II, 96 and

See Pagano, M. and Prisciandaro, R., 2006. Studio sulle provenienze degli oggetti rinvenuti negli scavi borbonici del regno di Napoli.  Naples : Nicola Longobardi. (p.128)

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. September 2005. Sacred area or cella.

At the rear against the east wall was a recess which contained a statue of Fortuna.

This is now in Naples Archaeological Museum, inventory number 6362.

The recess was bordered by two pilasters.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. December 2005. Looking north into the cella, from VII.4.2.

Originally the walls of the cella were lined with marble, and contained four recesses for statues on the sides.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. December 2007.   

Podium and sacred area from roof of VII.5.19 modern restaurant.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. December 2005.   

Blocked door in side wall on Via della Fortuna.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2009.  North wall on Via della Fortuna. Looking east.

 

VII.4.1 Pompeii. March 2009. Marble cornice on north wall on Via della Fortuna. Looking west.