CHAP. IIII. The temples of Vulcane, Mars, Bellona, Hercules, and Iupiter Stator: the columne or pillar Bellica: the altar of Neptune: the galleri•• Corinthia: and the colosse of Mars.
WIthin the Cirque Flaminius stood most famous temples of the gods, to wit, of Vulcane, Mars, and Bellona, to wit that which was toward the gate Carmentalis. Before the said gate there stood a marble pillar, which the Romanes called Bellica, for it shewed when warre was to be made. The Romanes in old time used and retained this manner in pro∣claiming warre: The publicke beadle, or one of the heraults called Faecials, launced a speare with some other ensignes of warre, into that land upon which they meant to levie armes. But when after many conquests they had enlarged their empire and dominion, and that they were oftentimes to give defiance to nations farre remote and distant, because they should not need to fling a speare or javeline, as I said before, into that land, they did but sticke one in the pillar abovenamed, on that side which regardeth that part whether they were to make their expedition.
To Hercules the Great, protectour and keeper of the cirque Flaminius, they built a temple in the same place: for his statue was there erected in the very entrance thereof, on that side where now stan∣deth the church of S. Lucie in the darke Apothecae.
M. Fulvius built another temple of the allowance that hee had of the Censours stocke, to Hercules Musarum: for hee had heard in Greece how Hercules was Musagetes, i. the leader and companion of the Muses. The same Fulvius translated the images of all the Muses out of the towne Ambracia to Rome, and consecrated them under the protection and safegard of that most potent and mightie deitie, to the end that they might have mutuall helpe one of the other: namely, the quietnesse of Muses by the defence of Hercules; and the valour of Hercules, by the sweet voice of the Muses. This church much decaied and disfigured by time, Martius Philippus, Augustus his father in law, i. his mothers husband, re∣paired.
In the same Cirque they would have the temple of Iupiter Stator to stand.
There also (as they gather by certain presumptions) was the altar of Neptune, which in old time ran bloud.
Octavius reared a porch or gallerie, built & born up with brasen pillers, and therupon named Co∣rinthia. This stood betweene the Cirque and S. Nicholas church, and was also called Chalcaria, i. bra∣sen or copper.
The Colosse or stately image of Mars, at the cirque Flaminius, was in the temple of Brutus Callaicus.