In a sacred site on the corner of Via Marina and the Forum we find the temple dedicated to the god Apollo. This cult was of Greek origin and spread as a source of worship among the Italic peoples through the Greek colonies in this part of Italy.
The cult had probably been present in Pompeii ever since the town was founded in the 6th century B.C., as is suggested by the fragments of Attic and Corinthian pottery and the remains of Etruscan bowls found during archaeological excavations.
Interest in the cult of Apollo began to dwindle in Pompeii in the 5th century B.C. but the ancient temple survived for a further 3 centuries before being replaced by a new structure erected on a podium built inside a portico with 48 columns of tuff stone quarried in the nearby town of Nuceria (Nocera).
The temple was surrounded by Corinthian columns with a travertine stone altar at the foot of the long flight of stairs and a sun dial slightly to one side. During the reign of the Emperor Nero after the earthquake of 62 A.D. the columns and trabeation were embellished with stucco work, only a few remains of which are now visible.
The doors leading from the temple directly into the Forum were closed when the townspeople's cult interest passed to the Temple of Jupiter, which was later transformed into the Capitolium, and niches were built in their place, as can still be seen. Statues of divinities stood around the portico but those on view today are copies. To the right of the long side of the portico we find the bronze statue of Apollo with a bow and arrow opposite a bust of Diana. Alongside the columns marking the entrance to the temple stood two statues: Venus and a small altar on one side and an Hermaphrodite on the other.
In a sacred site on the corner of Via Marina and the Forum we find the temple dedicated to the god Apollo. This cult was of Greek origin and spread as a source of worship among the Italic peoples through the Greek colonies in this part of Italy.
The cult had probably been present in Pompeii ever since the town was founded in the 6th century B.C., as is suggested by the fragments of Attic and Corinthian pottery and the remains of Etruscan bowls found during archaeological excavations.
Interest in the cult of Apollo began to dwindle in Pompeii in the 5th century B.C. but the ancient temple survived for a further 3 centuries before being replaced by a new structure erected on a podium built inside a portico with 48 columns of tuff stone quarried in the nearby town of Nuceria (Nocera).
The temple was surrounded by Corinthian columns with a travertine stone altar at the foot of the long flight of stairs and a sun dial slightly to one side. During the reign of the Emperor Nero after the earthquake of 62 A.D. the columns and trabeation were embellished with stucco work, only a few remains of which are now visible.
The doors leading from the temple directly into the Forum were closed when the townspeople's cult interest passed to the Temple of Jupiter, which was later transformed into the Capitolium, and niches were built in their place, as can still be seen. Statues of divinities stood around the portico but those on view today are copies. To the right of the long side of the portico we find the bronze statue of Apollo with a bow and arrow opposite a bust of Diana. Alongside the columns marking the entrance to the temple stood two statues: Venus and a small altar on one side and an Hermaphrodite on the other.
Gallery 9