Ancient Roman Pantheon images

[Markstein]

Hello everyone,

 

Hopefully this is okay to post here and I apologize in advance if it is not the correct forum.

 

I have been searching for some images of the roman pantheon and am having a hard time finding what I need. Let me explain.

 

I am creating a map for a game that people can play on. In the map I am creating the pantheon however I am trying to find images of the statues that were at the top of the ancient pantheon above the words M.AGRIPPA.L.F.COS.TERTIUM.FECIT, so that I can produce a texture to use in the game. I am trying to find some images of them looking straight at them, not from below or to the side etc.

 

I figured what better place to ask then a forum that is dedicated to Romans. Would anyone happen to know of where I can find some images which are looking directly at the statues? The ideal picture would be just of the top section with the statues above the M.AGRIPPA....however any picture that is somewhat level with the statues would work.

 

Thank you for reading and hoping some of you may know.

 

Mark

[Melvadius]

I am not certain that you will find some images anywhere as I rather suspect the statues were all lost/ removed from the roof well before the Renaissance when people started drawing the Pantheon. With a quick search of images I did find one which even if undated looks to be one of the earliest available on the web here.

 

From Casssius Dio History of Rome 53.27 there does come a partial description or at least indication of the type of statues there would have been both externally and internally:

 

Meanwhile Agrippa beautified the city at his own expense. First, in honour of the naval victories he completed the building called the Basilica of Neptune and lent it added brilliance by the painting representing the Argonauts. Next he constructed the Laconian sudatorium. He gave the name "Laconian" to the gymnasium because the Lacedaemonians had a greater reputation at that time than anybody else for stripping and exercising after anointing themselves with oil. Also he completed the building called the Pantheon. It has this name, perhaps because it received among the images which decorated it the statues of many gods, including Mars and Venus; but my own opinion of the name is that, because of its vaulted roof, it resembles the heavens. Agrippa, for his part, wished to place a statue of Augustus there also and to bestow upon him the honour of having the structure named after him; but when the emperor wouldn't accept either honour, he placed in the temple itself a statue of the former Caesar and in the ante-room statues of Augustus and himself

 

It is worth noting that the Wikipedia article indicates that the Portico would have included what seems a fairly 'standard' Imperial Roman image on its pediment.

 

It probably

was decorated with relief sculpture, probably of gilded bronze. Holes marking the location of clamps that held the sculpture suggest that its design was likely an eagle within a wreath; ribbons extended from the wreath into the corners of the pediment

 

N.B. Topic moved from Hora Postilla Thermae as this forum seems more appropriate for this discussion.

[Markstein]

Thank you for your reply Melvadius. I am definitely finding it hard to find some images. The Portico seems to be a bit different then the ones on the ancient pantheon but may have to do (still need to find some straight on shots) Alternatively, I could just build the "restructured" pantheon without the statues which will probably be the route I go since images seem rather scarce.

 

I did find one map for a game that appears to have the images of the ancient pantheon though it could be something different, I am not sure. You can see an image of it here:

 

http://img717.imageshack.us/i/pantheonstatues.jpg/

 

Do those statues appear to be from the ancient pantheon? If so, I wonder where they got the images. Thank you for your help.

 

Also, I did not find a picture of the statues on the page you linked to. I did some clicking around but was still unsuccessful. It appears (right now) that I am on a somewhat of an impossible search but will continue for awhile longer.

 

Mark

[Melvadius]

The point of the page I linked to was it had an early sketch of the Pantheon from which you could see that at this point in time there were no extant statues on the roof.

 

The image you have linked to seems to have sculptures on the pediment more like something from the Parthenon in Greece rather than what the available evidence of the remains of bronze fasteners suggests may have been on the Pantheon in Rome.

 

As indicated above; it appears to have been decorated with relief sculpture, probably of gilded bronze. Holes marking the location of clamps that held the sculpture suggest that its design was likely an eagle within a wreath; ribbons extended from the wreath into the corners of the pediment

 

This would suggest an image along similar lines to the eagle on a legions standard or indeed the Emblem of the city of Rome but I can't find a suitable image to link to.

[Markstein]

Thank you again for your help. After doing some more searching it appears the image that I linked to is more like the Paris Pantheon and not the Roman Pantheon. The Paris Pantheon matches the image I posted:

 

Picture of the Paris Pantheon:

 

http://www.simonho.org/images/photographs_france/Paris_Pantheon.jpg

 

I believe I was getting confused and thought that the original ancient Roman Pantheon had statues on its pediment (not just an eagle in a wreath). Looks like I'll be constructing the pantheon with just the bricks in the top section instead statues which makes it easier anyways.

 

Thank you for your help and teaching me some history as well!

 

Mark