PANTHEON, a beautiful ediſice at Rome, anciently a temple, dedicated to all the gods; but now converted into a church, and dedicated to the Virgin and all the martyrs.
This ediſice is generally thought to have been built by Agrippa ſon-in-law to Auguſtus, becauſe it has the following inſcription on the frieze of the portico.
M. AGRIPPA L. F. COS. TERTIUM FECIT.
Several antiquarians and artiſts, however, have ſuppoſed that the pantheon exiſted in the times of the commonwealth; and that it was only embellished by Agrippa, who added the portico. Be this as it will, however, the pantheon, when perfected by Agrippa, was an exceedingly magnificent building; the form of whole body is round or cylindrical, and its roof or dome is ſpherical: it is 144 feet diameter within; and the height of it, from the pavement to the grand aperture on its top, through which it receives the light, is juſt as much. It is of the Corinthian order. The inner circumference is divided into ſeven grand niches, wrought in the thickneſs of the wall: ſix of which are flat at the top; but the ſeventh, oppoſite to the entrance, is arched. Before each niche are two columns of antique yellow marble fluted, and of one entire block, making in all 14, the fineſt in Rome. The whole wall of the temple, as high as the grand cornice incluſive, is caſed with divers ſorts of precious marble in compartments. The frieze is entirely of porphyry. Above the grand cornice ariſes an attic, in which were wrought, at equal diſtances, 14 oblong ſquare niches: between each niche were four marble pilasters, and between the pilasters marble tables of various kinds. This attic had a complete entablature; but the cornice projected leſs than that of the grand order below. Immediately from the cornice ſprings the ſpherical roof, divided by bands, which croſs each other like the meridians and parallels of an artificial terreſtrial globe. The ſpaces between the bands decrease in ſize as they approach the top of the roof; to which, however, they do not reach, there being a conſiderable plain ſpace between them and the great opening. That ſo bold a roof might be as light as poſſible.
VOL. XV. Part II.
the architect formed the ſubſtance of the ſpaces between the bands of nothing but lime and puniceſtones. The walls below were decorated with lead and braſs, and works of carved ſilver over them; and the roof was covered on the outſide with plates of gilded bronze. There was an aſcent from the ſpringing of the roof to the very ſummit by a flight of ſeven ſtairs. And if certain authors may be credited, theſe ſtairs were ornamented with pedeſtrian ſtatues ranged as an amphitheatre. This notion was founded on a paſſage of Pliny, who ſays, "That Diogenes the ſculptor decorated the pantheon of Agrippa with elegant ſtatues; yet that it was difficult to judge of their merit, upon account of their elevated ſituation." The portico is compoſed of 16 columns of granite, four feet in diameter, eight of which ſtand in front, with an equal intercolumniation all along, contrary to the rule of Vitruvius, who is for having the ſpace anſwering to the door of a temple, wider than the reſt. Of theſe columns is a pediment, whole tympanum, or flat, was ornamented with baſ-reliefs in braſs; the croſs beams which formed the ceiling of the portico were covered with the ſame metal, and ſo were the doors. The aſcent up to the portico was by eight or nine ſteps.
Such was the pantheon, the richneſs of which induced Pliny to rank it among the wonders of the world.
The eruption of Veſuvius, in the reign of Tiberius, damaged the Pantheon very conſiderably: it was repaired by Domitian; which occaſioned ſome writers to mention that prince as the founder of the building. The emperor Adrian alſo did ſomething to it. But it appears, that the pantheon is more indebted to Septimius Severus, than to any one ſince its erection. The moſt, perhaps, that any of his predeceſſors had done, was tho adding ſome ornament to it: Septimius beſtowed eſſential reparations upon it. The following inſcription appears upon the architrave: