now became a storage room. The stipulation found in legal documents that there
be no common wall between sacred and private buildings was ignored here (and
possibly quite often elsewhere) for reasons of practicality.
Regardless of the functional merging of sacred cult space and secular urban space,
attempts were still made to at least provide visual clues to the subordinate status of
the ancillary buildings: the podium temple probably surpassed the two-storey staff
building in height. Moreover, as a representative religious building, with its perron
extending into the street, the temple virtually pushed itself into the visual field of
every passer-by, while the attached staff house was set as far back as possible. Despite
the extreme spatial restrictions dictated by urban structures such as roads and build-
ing patterns, there was a desire to meet, in the sensible, practical furnishing of the
house on Tullius’ private property, all requirements relating to the proper operation
of the cult site. At the same time, efforts were also made, with all available visual
means of religious architecture and decor, to optimize the external representative
appearance of the cult precinct.
FURTHER READINGThe technical terms of Roman cult sites in the antiquarian and legal sources are annotated
by Fridh (1990). An introductory, easy-to-understand survey of the multi-functionality of Roman
cult sites is offered by Stambaugh (1978); a good example of grave-side cult practices is pro-
vided in the archaeological excavation guide of the necropolis on the Isola Sacra (Ostia) by
Baldassarre (1996). Specifically on the republican temples and the problem of looted art, see
Ziolkowski (1992); on the spatial experience, furnishings, and typology of individual build-
ing types see Kähler (1970) (temples), Bollmann (1998) (clubhouses), and Hänlein-Schäfer
(1985) (Augustan imperial cult sites). Mattern (2001) focuses on the decor and function of
temple interiors. H. Martin (1987) presents the archaeological findings on late republican cult
images. Sanctuaries in the Italic countryside are examined by Edlund (1987); specifics of the
sacred groves are discussed in the volume of proceedings on the Bois Sacrés colloquium
(Bois Sacrés 1993). North (1995) critically assesses the religious links between the city and
its extra-urban periphery and the concept of rural religiosity; see also Egelhaaf-Gaiser (2000)
(contextualization of the cult of Isis) and Rieger (2004) (sanctuaries at Ostia).
Roman Cult Sites 221