Description
The Temple of Augustus is a well-preserved Roman temple in the city of Pula, Croatia . Dedicated to the first Roman emperor, Augustus, it was probably built during the emperor's lifetime at some point between 2 BC and his death in AD 14. It was built on a podium with a tetrastyle prostyle porch of Corinthian columns and measures about 8by, and 14m high. The richly decorated frieze is similar to that of a somewhat larger and older temple, the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France. These two temples are considered the two best complete Roman monuments outside Italy.HistoryThe temple was part of a triad consisting of three temples. The Temple of Augustus stood at the left side of the central temple, and the similar temple of the goddess Diana stood on the other side of the main temple. Although the larger central temple has not survived, the whole back side of the Temple of Diana is still clearly visible due to its incorporation into the Communal Palace, built in 1296.Under Byzantine rule, the temple was converted into a church, accounting for its survival to modern times, and was later used as a granary.By the late 19th century, the temple stood at the corner of the marketplace of Pula and was partly concealed by houses, "so that the visitor cannot obtain a view till he is close to it."
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