While it has already been said that the chronological sequence of Roman architecture is not materially important in following its process of development, still it is instructive to trace as nearly as possible the date-relation of the different examples, as this will help more or less to show the development and decline of the style in the different Roman periods. Some of the later Roman architecture is as pure as the earlier work; and some of the earlier work is as debased as most of that done during the third century. As a rule the Roman architecture of about the period of Augustus is the most refined, but during the reigns of both Trajan and Hadrian, there was evidenced a Renaissance or tendency to return to the beauty and purity of the earlier period.
Temple of Jupiter Olympus, Athens. It is well, then, to remember that the Temple of Jupiter Olympus at Athens, begun about 170 B. C., the Order from which is shown in Plate LII, was finished about 117 A. D., by Hadrian. The design of the capital was probably deter mined at a date near the beginning of the work, possibly by Cos sutius, although it is likely that the workmanship of many of these capitals belongs to a much later date. The columns of this temple were 58 feet in height.
An early Corinthian capital (Fig. 127), taken from the church of S. Niccolo in Carcere, shows a capital, evidently of Greek work manship, which bears a close relation to those employed in the Temple of Jupiter Olympus at Athens.
Temple of Castor and Pollux, Cora. The capital from the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Fig. 128) is one of the remains found at Cora, and is as undoubtedy of Greek workmanship as it is an early Roman example of the Order. This is another of the drawings by Emanuel Brune. The base is an interesting example of an early Roman Co rinthian outline; and the capital is somewhat shorter in proportion than the later Roman type. The leafage and ornamentation are very near the Greek in feeling, and it should be noted how closely the leaves in their profile follow the growth and emphasize the outlines of the col umn itself. The capital already referred to and shown in Fig. 109 is probably of about the same date; and both these examples, along with the two or three other earliest Roman uses of the Order, show a method of treatment and a strength of outline that is too often lacking in other Roman work.
Temple of Mars Ultor, Rome. Among the earliest Roman build ings upon which this Order was employed, is the Temple of Mars Ultor or Mars Vengeur, dating from about 42 B. C., of which three columns remain standing in the Forum. This building, backing up against the Quirinal Hill, formed a part of the Forum of Augustus, and already displays a beautifully developed Roman type (Fig. 129). This Order is shown in an engraving from another of the famous Brune drawings, the original being the property of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The original was drawn at a scale of two
centimeters per meter—about equivalent to the one-quarter inch scale of our system of figuring. The tremendous size of the building, and the scale of the different parts, may be estimated from the steps and the height of the figures shown in the lower portion of- the drawing. 'Aside from the beauty of the rendering, the student should notice particularly that the columns are all rendered very lightly, the general effect being almost white in front of the background, which, although not entirely in shadow, is rendered darker to show that it is on a plane farther back than the columns. This drawing displays with unusual beauty of rendering the shafts and full pro portions of the Roman Corinthian Order, and, incidentally, a very restrained example of a Roman doorway appropriate for use with the Corinthian column.
The Temple of Concord, rebuilt by Augustus approximately 7 B. C., has an extremely beautiful capital and entablature. The capi tal contains two ram's heads used in the place of the more conventional corner volutes; but this eccentricity, with the consequent loss of sharp ness of outline of the capital itself, is not sufficient to spoil the effect of the Order as a whole.
Pantheon, Rome. The portico of the Pantheon is of earlier date than the remainder of the building. This building was erected—on the site of an earlier temple built by Agrippa—some time during the reign of Augustus (B. C. 27—A. D 14) ; and the present entrance por tico contains eight columns of the original ten-column pedimented end of the older building. This accounts for the fact that the sides of the brackets, or modillions, in the cornice of the pediment are not ex actly perpendicular, but slightly inclined. This difference would naturally occur in adapting the two inclined cornices of the earlier pediment to the different slope required by the narrower base of the new pediment face. The dentil course in the cornice has never been carved (see Plate LIII). The columns from both the interior and the exterior of the Pantheon are superb forms of the best type of Ro man Corinthian. The round part of the building dates from about 120 A. D. The Orders used on the Pantheon are of a special interest from the fact that this building shows side by side the different work ings out of the same Order when used on the exterior and interior of a monumental building. Therefore the differences displayed in the various proportions and relations of the mouldings and the placing of the ornament in these two Orders, are most suggestive, and, until the reasons covering their arrangement are apprehended, will deserve careful study.