Temple of Castor and Pollux

The Temple of Castor and Pollux is at one end of the Roman forum, near the Arch of Septimius Severus. During the battle of Lake Regillus against the Etruscans, in 496 BC, some people said they had seen the twin gods Castor and Pollux helping the Roman side. After the Romans won the battle, they decided to build a temple to honor the gods who had helped them. That temple was finished in 494 BC, in the early Republic, and when it got old it was rebuilt in 117 BC, and restored again in 73 BC.

But the picture here is of a later temple on the same place. The original temple had burned down, and Tiberius built a new one in 6 AD. So the Corinthian-style temple you see today is from the Julio-Claudian period. This temple was used to keep some of the imperial treasury in (the emperor's money).

But most of the marble has been stolen away for other buildings since the fall of Rome, and only these three columns are left now (and even these had to be put back up because they had fallen down in an earthquake - see where they have been mended?).

To find out more about the Temple of Castor, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:

The Colosseum & the Roman Forum, by Martyn Whittock (2002). For kids.

The Roman Forum, by Michael Grant (1970). Out of date, but Michael Grant is an entertaining writer with a simple style which teenagers may appreciate.

Castor and Pollux
More on the Roman forum
Roman temples
Corinthian order
Main Roman Architecture page
Main Ancient Rome page

Educating children is a tough job – let Kidipede make education easier with free online homework help. Homeschooling? Kidipede will also fit right into your homeschool material. And Kidipede’s great for unschoolers, who can surf independently. With Kidipede’s homework or homeschool material, education can be fun instead of a chore!

Teachers - check out our social studies lesson plans for middle school ancient history! Kidipede covers Egyptian Art, the Middle Ages, Ancient Rome, Native Americans and much more. Instant museum in your classroom.

Parents and grandparents – find the perfect gift for your middle school kid in Kidipede’s store! Kidipede has history books and other educational gifts for kids, from Halloween costumes to CD’s and DVD’s to art supplies. Now that’s good parenting! Pay securely through Amazon.

Teens – Kidipede has the best homework help around. Find out about ancient Greek music, medieval clothing fashions, and Native American technology trends. What was trendy clothing in ancient China? Who were the most popular girls in ancient Rome? How did teens decorate their rooms in ancient India?