Roman Forum

Story

He's the emperor of Rome few have ever heard of. Whereas his successor Constantine left an indelible legacy, Maxentius is remembered for nothing much at all. One of his few monuments, across from the Temple of the Vestal Virgins in the Roman Forum, is the Temple of Romulus. The temple was dedicated to his son, Valerius Romulus, whom Maxentius deified after his untimely death. The temple is an imposing structure, now stripped to Roman brick and concrete. The temple's large bronze doors, framed by two porphyry columns, recall the monument's former opulence. When originally completed, the temple would have been clad and decorated in brilliant marble. This wasn't Maxentius' only overture to his son's deification. He issued coins depicting Valerius, glorified by a radiate crown and an eagle, symbolising his ascension to the heavens. These coins often read: To the divine Romulus, most noble boy. By all accounts, Valerius was an unremarkable boy. Historians agree that Maxentius deified his son to bolster his rule and legitimise his fragile position as emperor. As the father of a deity, he would have garnered the implicit seal of approval from the gods. However, the temple’s rotunda form is unusual for Roman temples, typically rectangular. Unlike the Pantheon, the absence of an oculus shrouded the interior in the quiet shadow of a mausoleum. Perhaps, beneath all the ambition, blunders, and imperial struggle, Maxentius should be remembered for one thing. His love for his only son. Standing there, I was reminded that love doesn't die simply because we don't see one another.