The templesby Attilio Mastrocinque
In the urban area of Grumentum have been discovered four temples, all of them characterized by a structure on high podium, of italic tradition. According to an architectural typology very popular in Greek and Roman world, the statue of worship was kept in a cell, the most secret part of the temple, accessible only to priests and preceded by an open porch space (Pronao). Around the temples there are useful rooms and open spaces, suitable to guest the faithful assembled during the gods celebrations. The shrines in Grumentum are conventionally identified, since the time of discovery, by a letter of the alphabet.
Temple AThe temple A, located behind the theater stage and oriented from East to West, is surrounded by a portico, and is accessible through two small entrances from the square in front of the theater. The main entrance was from the western side, through a flight of steps that made it possible to get on the podium coated by molding gray limestone. In front of the entrance steps is still preserved an altar (ara), also coated by gray limestone. During the excavations in the temple A was found a marble torso representing a child, perhaps identified with the Egyptian god Harpocrates. It would be fascinating, even though not demonstrable with sufficient reliability, assume the presence of an oriental cult (in particular Egyptian) in the city of Grumentum. It’s not clear the chronology of foundation of the temple, which had a life cycle quite long, and was abandoned about the fifth century A.C.
Temple BThe temple B, next to the house of mosaics, is placed on a podium in opus incertum (that means made using, in formwork, a compound of mortar, pebbles and fragments of bricks). It is preceded by a wide open space, and flanked by useful rooms, functional for worship needs of the unknown god which was hosted and adored in this place.
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