What Did The Julio-Claudians Do For Us?

[suzhannah]

hi there,

 

what do you think was inspriational in the julio-claudian building programmes, archaeological buildings or monuments, art ect. this is excluding Augustus.

 

my feeling is that apart from Nero's Domas Area and the aquaduct started by Caligula but finished by Claudius, they didnt do anywhere near as much as Augustus or the Flavians for the people of Rome.

 

not much at all really,

 

be interested to know what you think though.

 

 

SUZHANNAH

[phil25]

Just off hand, I don't think one should look only at the City of Rome - Aphrodisias, in modern Turkey, for instance, had a wonderful Sebasteon, dedicated to the Julio-Claudians.

 

The temple of the deified Claudius, although work was held up after the fall of Agrippina, was (as I recall) innovative.

 

Gaius developed the Circus Vaticanus on his own inherited trans-Tibertine property, and that was still going, in essence long afterwards.

 

He appears also to have constructed a "palace" behind the temple of Castor (just off the Forum Romanum) - later over-built by Domitian. We simply don't know whether further work by him on the Palatine is concealed under the Farnese Gardens.

 

Claudius had a triumphal arch, of course, parts of which recording his acceptance of homage from British kings is now in Museo Capitolino.

 

Outside Rome - are you aware of Tiberius' Villa Iovis on Capi - constructed over vast water cisterns - it a wonderful use of location and style. Were there not caves decorated with statuary at Sperlongi too, the roof of which collapsed and nearly killed the princeps?

 

I'm not sure at which point, but I also seem to recall that Tiberius' paid for a restoration of the temple of Castor in the Forum Romanaum.

 

And what about the prima Porta statue of Augustus? Probably posthumus given the bare feet.

 

Just some thoughts off the top of my head, I'll see what else I can think of.

 

Phil

[Primus Pilus]

Augustus alone was quite busy, according to Res Gestae Divi Augusti...

 

19. I built the senate-house and the Chalcidicum which adjoins it and the temple of Apollo on the Palatine with porticos, the temple of divine Julius, the Lupercal, the portico at the Flaminian circus, which I allowed to be called by the name Octavian, after he who had earlier built in the same place, the state box at the great circus, the temple on the Capitoline of Jupiter Subduer and Jupiter Thunderer, the temple of Quirinus, the temples of Minerva and Queen Juno and Jupiter Liberator on the Aventine, the temple of the Lares at the top of the holy street, the temple of the gods of the Penates on the Velian, the temple of Youth, and the temple of the Great Mother on the Palatine.

 

20. I rebuilt the Capitol and the theater of Pompey, each work at enormous cost, without any inscription of my name. I rebuilt aqueducts in many places that had decayed with age, and I doubled the capacity of the Marcian aqueduct by sending a new spring into its channel. I completed the Forum of Julius and the basilic which he built between the temple of Castor and the temple of Saturn, works begun and almost finished by my father. When the same basilica was burned with fire I expanded its grounds and I began it under an inscription of the name of my sons, and, if I should not complete it alive, I ordered it to be completed by my heirs. Consul for the sixth time (28 BC), I rebuilt eighty-two temples of the gods in the city by the authority of the senate, omitting nothing which ought to have been rebuilt at that time. Consul for the seventh time (27 BC), I rebuilt the Flaminian road from the city to Ariminum and all the bridges except the Mulvian and Minucian.

 

21. I built the temple of Mars Ultor on private ground and the forum of Augustus from war-spoils. I build the theater at the temple of Apollo on ground largely bought from private owners, under the name of Marcus Marcellus my son-in-law...

 

Additionally Agrippa is credited with building the Pantheon and he and Augustus are credited for several aqueducts (or repair/rebuilding)... Annio Vetus, Virgo, Julia, Alsietina. Agrippa also built his baths, the theatre in Merida was responsible for many repairs, etc.

 

[EDIT] Oops, I didn't realize initially that you were not including Augustus as part of the Julio-Claudians. I'll leave this post anyway.

[suzhannah]

Just off hand, I don't think one should look only at the City of Rome - Aphrodisias, in modern Turkey, for instance, had a wonderful Sebasteon, dedicated to the Julio-Claudians.

 

The temple of the deified Claudius, although work was held up after the fall of Agrippina, was (as I recall) innovative.

 

Gaius developed the Circus Vaticanus on his own inherited trans-Tibertine property, and that was still going, in essence long afterwards.

 

He appears also to have constructed a "palace" behind the temple of Castor (just off the Forum Romanum) - later over-built by Domitian. We simply don't know whether further work by him on the Palatine is concealed under the Farnese Gardens.

 

Claudius had a triumphal arch, of course, parts of which recording his acceptance of homage from British kings is now in Museo Capitolino.

 

Outside Rome - are you aware of Tiberius' Villa Iovis on Capi - constructed over vast water cisterns - it a wonderful use of location and style. Were there not caves decorated with statuary at Sperlongi too, the roof of which collapsed and nearly killed the princeps?

 

I'm not sure at which point, but I also seem to recall that Tiberius' paid for a restoration of the temple of Castor in the Forum Romanaum.

 

And what about the prima Porta statue of Augustus? Probably posthumus given the bare feet.

 

Just some thoughts off the top of my head, I'll see what else I can think of.

 

Phil

 

HI PHIL

Tiberius didnt build the villa on capri tho did he?

Claudius seems to have been the best 'bob the builder' for the people in public works i think of all julio-claudians (ex Augustus). we could include the domas aurea but that was private for the varacious nero.

 

I think caligula started to build a bridge to the temple of castor and pollux because of his divine inspirations, there is some archaeological evidence now on that, however, i still feel that the later flavian amthitheater and the 'good emperors' ie antonines, did more than the julio-claudians but i welcome any other input.

 

thanks

 

 

hi primus,

where did u find that copy of the res gestae? pls

[phil25]

Augustus had villas on capri but the VI is always associated most closely with Tiberius - i assume he did work on it once it became his principle residence. One of my guide books suggests that that is the case. I cannot find the more detailed one at the moment.

 

Phil

[Joe Geranio]

I know one thing being a Julio-Claudian coin collector from Aug-Nero only. They gave us some of the most beautiful Roman Imperial coinage ever! (go to portraitsofcaligula.com under coinage or numismatics tab) The architecure on the Sestertii of Caligula of the DIVO AUG which shows Caligula for example sacrificing before the temple is a true work of art.

 

The gold and silver coinage is also heavier than in later imperial coinage. The Port of Ostia from Nero's reign and other propaganda was used to helped assure that the Julio-Claudian Princeps would be favored by the Populus.

 

You must see them to believe the great coins from the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

 

Joe Geranio

The Portraiture of Caligula

portraitsofcaligula.com

[phil25]

Joe, your excellent post reminds me of one major capital construction work of crucial importance undertaken by the Julio-Claudians - the harbour facilities at Ostia. Claudius sank the giant boat that had conveyed Gaius' obelisk from Egypt to create a mole/breakwater.

 

I had missed that off my earlier list.

 

Phil

[caldrail]

Just to add to the above answers, there is a quote from Augustus

 

"I found Rome in brick and left it in marble"

[phil25]

Shame raelly that either Alaric or one of the renaissance popes didn't quip: "I found Rome marble and let it brick and in bits!!"

 

Phil

[caldrail]

I suspect he didn't find much marble there. A lot of those early monuments were used as building materials for later ones. Am I wrong, or did Rome migrate back toward a brick city in the later half?

[phil25]

Not the Rome, I know at least.

 

Brick became a popular building material, of course, as the apartment blocks and buildings of Ostia still demonstrate. But almost always, if one looks, one can see traces of marble facing.

 

The ruins of the Fora (Romanum and Imperial) also show plentiful survivals of marble in buildings, not least those integrated into churches (like the temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina). As late as the Renaissance the Popes were using marble slabs and broken statuary to make lime for mortar.

 

I think the Popes probably did more damage that all the barbarian sackings put together!!

 

Phil