PANTHEON (Lat., from Gk. HapOccov, pan theion, temple to all the gods, neu. sg. of rciv Beats, pantheios, relating to all the gods, from ras, pas, all -1- Olios, thqios, divine, from 8e6s, theos, god). A temple to all the gods; hence in particular, the greatest of such temples at Rome. The first Pantheon, erected in B.C. 27 by Valerius of Ostia for M. V. Agrippa, was a rectangular• edifice behind the Baths of Agrippa. Injured or destroyed by lightning under Trajan, it was re placed in A.D. 123 by the existing circular edifice erected by Hadrian, as is proved by the dis coveries of Chidanne in 1802. The porch of six teen superb colossal monolithic Corinthian col umns appears to have been built with materials from Agrippa's porch and to have been altered from a decastyle to an oetastyle porch, perhaps by Septimius Severus, A.D. 202. The Pantheon was further remodeled by Caracalla ; it is pos sible that the interior paneling of the dome, which offers many puzzling problems, dates from this time and was hewn in the originally smooth vault. The Pantheon is the most perfectly pre served and the- noblest work of Roman archi tecture. It consists of a circular hall, 142Y2 feet in internal diameter, supporting a dome rising to a height of 142 feet, and pierced at the summit by an oculus or opening 27 feet in di ameter—the only window in the edifice, but won derfully effective in its effect of interior lighting. Seven niches for statues adorn the interior, which, however, has lost much of its original aspect since the 'restorations' of 1748-56. The
Pantheon, often called in Rome 'La Rotonda.' has been since A.D. 608 a Christian church. In 663 it was despoiled of its statues and bronze adorn ments by the Emperor Constans, and in 1632 the superb bronze vault of the portico was re moved by Urban VIII., to he used in casting the baldacchino of Saint Peter's Church.
The name Pantheon has been also applied to a number of domieal buildings, among Nvhich the most important is the Church of Saint Gen evieve at Paris, erected 1764-1781 by the archi tect Sou let in a somewhat cold hut highly ele gant and dignified classic style. During the Revolution it was desecrated and dedicated to the men of France; according to the classic of the time, it was called 'Le Pan th6on,' and has retained this name ever since. although in 1826 it was restored to Catholic worship and reconseerated. In plan it forms a Greek cross of about 255 feet in width and length, exclusive of the noble portico in front. The dome over the intersection, 70 feet in diameter and rising 268 feet in air, is adorned externally with a superb peristyle of 32 colums.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Flirt, Osserra:ione sopra it Bibliography. Flirt, Osserra:ione sopra it Panteon (Rome. 1791) ; Adler, Das Pantheon :U. Rom (Berlin. 1872) ; Piranesi...Intichita romdne (Rome, 1768); Isabelle. Edifices ci reu ires (Paris, 18431 ; Lanciani. Ruins and Excarations of Ancient Rome (trans.. Boston, 1897) ; Gosset, Lea coupoles d'orient ct d'occident I Paris, 1889).