Temple of Venus and Rome

        The Temple of Venus and Rome was designed by Hadrian, although it's believed that the Temple of Venus and Rome was designed in AD 121, it was construction did not begin until AD 125. The Temple was dedicated 10 years later, and may have been finished by Hadrian's Successor Antoninus Pius sometimes between Ad 140 and 145. The temple got damaged by fire in AD 307, and it was restored "in magnificent manner" by Maxentius (Aurelius Victor, De Caearibus, XL). Indeed, when Constantius visited Rome fifty years later, the so called Temple of the City was one of the sight that he most admired (Ammianus, History, XVI.10.14)

                                                                                 
           The Temple of Venus and Rome was very different from the Pantheon, in both its structure and its iconography. In this case, Hadrian's interest in Greek architecture-both his antiquarian enthusiasms and his interest in basing the design of a new temple on earlier precedents-was overtly expressed. In A.D. 124 just before construction of the new temple was begun, he visited Athens, then made a brief excursion to the Peleponnesus-Megara, Argos, Mantinea, and Olympia. In each of these cities, he saw temples that may have had a degree of influence on the Temple of Venus and Rome. The most important of these, however was the Athenian Temple of Olympian Zeus.

          The Temple of Venus and Rome had two cellae, each holding a cult statue-Venus Felix ancestor of the Rome people, and Rome Aeterna, the genius (personification) of the city, a symmetrical arrangement that may have been influenced by the palindrome that the two deities evoked: Roma and Amor. Situated on the slope of the Velia hill, with the Arch of Titus at one corner and the Via Sacra passing down its flank, Hadrian's temple effectively joint the Forum (upon which Roma looked) and the Colosseum (which was faced by Venus).

         The Temple was decastyle, the only one to have ten column across its principle facade with ten columns and twenty columns along the sides. Robinson further describes it as "dipteral at the ends, pseudo-dipteral along the sides, with a pronaos at each end tetastyle in antis." Whereas a dipteral temple had two rows of columns along all four sides of the cella or sacred chamber, a pseudo-dipteral temple omits this inner course of columns is in the front and rear, the impression of the temple being dipteral. Stamper emphasizes the association of the temple with that of Olympian Zeus in Athens, which Hadrian had visited in AD 124-125, just before construction on his own temple began, using the Temple of Olympian Zeus as its model, which he himself dedicated on his second visit there. Both temples are surrounded by a paved court enclosed by a portico from which the stylobate is approached by steps on all four sides. Both temples are peripteral, having columns on all four sides, and dipteral (having a double row of columns around all four sides), which two rows of twenty columns on the long side. But, whereas the Temple of Olympian Zeus is octastyle, with right columns across the principal facade, the Temple of Venus and Rome has ten (decastyle). 

          When Hadrian asked Apollodorus, who had designed the Forum of Trajan, to comment on his design, he allegedly replied that the temple was too low and the statues of gods too tall for the space the occupied. "For now", he said, 'if the goddesses wish to get up and go out, they will be unable to do so'.

            When the Building was dedicated in A.D. 136-137, official valedictory coins were issued that praised Hadrian for having achieved peace, stability, prosperity, and unity. One such coin, with an image of Herakles, proclaimed that the whole earth was abundantly fruitful and comfortably stable thanks to the efforts of this emperor so much like Herakles, "the great adventurer, traveler and friend of men."

          Source: The Architecture of Roman Temples, by John W. Stamper
                        penelope.uchicago.edu/...romana/romanurbs/venus..