Evaluating the Evidence 5.1: The Temple of Hercules Victor

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The Temple of Hercules Victor

This round temple, dating from the second century B.C.E., is the oldest surviving marble building in Rome and was imported from Greece. It once contained a statue of the mythical hero Hercules and was dedicated to him at this spot where legend told he killed a monster who had stolen some cattle.

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(© Justin Kase z12z/Alamy Stock Photo)

EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE

  1. Looking at the picture of the temples on the Acropolis in Athens, the Acropolis in Athens, what stylistic similarities do you see between those buildings and this temple?
  2. How do those similarities, and the fact that this temple was dedicated to Hercules, provide evidence for Roman adoption of Greek religion and culture?