A description of the antiquities and other curiosities of Rome; from personal observation during a visit to Italy in the years 1818-19 Volume 1 - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1828 edition. Excerpt: ...person who added such an ornament would have suffered Agrippa's name to supplant his own, we must conclude, that the whole was the work of Agrippa. We must infer the same from the words of Dio Cassius,™ who tells us, that Agrippa placed statues of Augustus and himself in the Pronaos: for as the temple is circular, nothing can be intended by the term Pronaos, but the present or a preceding portico. To these arguments may be added a passage from Suetonius,0 which seems to demonstrate, that the Portico, as it now stands, with its inscription, was erected in the reign of Augustus. This writer tells us, that " as the Emperor was holding the lustrum in the " Campus Martius, an eagle flew to the neigh-" bouring temple, and settled upon the first letter " of Agrippa's name." We can hardly suppose this to be any other temple than the Pantheon. The evidence of coins is sometimes of importance, when applied to Roman buildings: but in the present case little assistance is afforded, and that little is not free from suspicion. In a work published by Du Choul, " Discours sur la Religion " des anciens Romains,"0 an engraving is given, at p. 7, of a brass coin, having on one side the head of Agrippa, with M. Agrippa. L. F. cos. in. and on the reverse a round building resembling the Pantheon, with a portico of six columns. The number of columns certainly does not agree; but if the coin were genuine, we must attribute this to accident, because both the inscriptions agree as to the date, ascribing it to the third consulship of Agrippa. There are also some windows represented on the coin as over the portico, which do not exist at present. The evidence, imperfect as it is, is also suspicious, as the learned have decided that the coin is spurious. In another...