in antiquity, a castle on the Mons Capitolinus at Rome, where there was a temple dedicated to Jupiter, in which the senate anciently assembled. The capitol consisted of three parts; a nave, sacred to Jupiter; and two wings, the one consecrated to Juno, and the other to Minerva: It was ascended by stairs; the frontispiece and sides were surrounded with galleries, in which those who were honoured with triumphs entertained the senate at a magnificent banquet, after the sacrifices had been offered to the gods.

Both the inside and outside were enriched with infinite ornaments, the most distinguished of which was the statue of Jupiter, with his golden thunder-bolt, his sceptre, and crown. In the capitol also were a temple to Jupiter the guardian, and another to Juno, with the mint; and on the descent of the hill was the temple of Concord.

This beautiful edifice contained the most sacred deposits of religion, such as the auncilia, the books of the sybils, &c.

**CAPITOLINE games**, annual games instituted by Camillus, in honour of Jupiter Capitolinus, and in commemoration of the capitol's not being taken by the Gauls. Plutarch tells us, that a part of the ceremony consisted in the public crier's putting up the Heturians to sale by auction: They also took an old man, and tying a golden bulla about his neck, exposed him to the public derision. Feftus says, they also dressed him in a praetexta. There was another kind of capitoline games, instituted by Domitian, wherein there were rewards and crowns bestowed on the poets, champions, orators, historians, and musicians. These last capitoline games were celebrated every five years, and became so famous, that instead of calculating time by lustra, they began to count by capitoline games, as the Greeks did by olympiads. It appears, however, that this custom was not of long continuance.