Dougga - Capitol

Between the Place de la Rose des Vents and the Forum in Dougga, on a high base, stands the Capitol, a temple dedicated to the Capitoline triad of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. Built in A.D. 166 or 167, it is one of the finest and best preserved Roman temples in North Africa. A monumental staircase leads up to the portico in front of the cella. All but one of the six Corinthian columns of the portico (four in front and two on the sides) are limestone monoliths. An inscription on the architrave gives the names of the donors of the temple and contains a dedication to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. The badly weathered carving on the pediment depicts a man being carried upward by an eagle, perhaps symbolizing the deification of