Temple of Castor and Pollux

The Temple of Castor and Pollux stands in the Roman Forum, once the political heart of ancient Rome. It was built after the Battle of Lake Regillus in 495 BC to honour the twin gods Castor and Pollux. The temple marks the spot where the brothers were said to have appeared after the victory. Three surviving Corinthian columns and part of the entablature remain today. The podium beneath them is a solid base of ancient concrete. Excavations between 1983 and 1989 uncovered details of its long history. The temple was more than a place of worship. In the 2nd century BC its front steps served as a speaker’s platform for the Senate. Later it housed the state treasury and even a chamber used by a dentist. Rebuilt several times, it was finally restored by Tiberius in the 1st century AD. The annual parade on 15 July kept the memory of the victory alive with riders on white horses. The temple also became linked to the imperial family through its association with Gaius and Lucius Caesar. Visitors see the three tall columns standing on the high podium. The remains show the temple’s original scale and grandeur. The podium’s rough concrete core is exposed, while the columns rise in polished grey stone. Nearby, the Spring of Juturna marks the legendary spot where the twins watered their horses. The Forum’s ruins stretch around, giving a sense of the temple’s central place in Roman life. Its surviving fragments tell stories of battles, politics and daily business from centuries past.