Mystery of the Temple of Venus is SOLVED: Scientists finally uncover how the 2,000-year-old structure has stood the test of time

A new study reveals how the Temple of Venus has stood the test of time and suggests the Romans were smarter than we thought.

The striking octagonal structure at Baiae, near Naples in southern Italy, has stood for nearly 2000 years in a geologically active region.

Built by the order of Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century, this building has a large hall that serves as a thermal building within a large bath complex.

Scientists at the University of Naples Federico II analyzed samples around the structure’s base to uncover what makes it so long-lived.

They found that the Romans deliberately added volcanic materials because they knew it would make the 80-foot-wide building more durable.

The author of the study is Dr. According to Concetta Rispoli, Roman builders chose different volcanic materials depending on structural requirements.

“The temple survived because its geomaterial behaves almost like a natural rock,” he told the Daily Mail.

‘Instead of weakening, the materials continue to “lock together” and strengthen as they age.’

Built by Emperor Hadrian, it was the large swimming pool of the imperial thermal complex of Baiae. It has an octagonal exterior plan that becomes circular on the inside.

Although the temple is approximately 2000 years old, it is in an extraordinary state of preservation. The Phlegraean Fields is a volcanic region affected by ‘bradyseism’ (the slow rising and sinking of the Earth’s surface caused by volcanic activity).

Mysteriously, the material used to build the Temple of Venus in Naples was durable even if the Earth’s surface around it sank.

Constant ground movement lowered the temple to about 20 feet (six meters) below today’s surface.

The team collected nine samples from the Temple of Venus for the study, including mortar, bricks and various types of volcanic stone.

They also collected efflorescence, which are white, powdery deposits of soluble salts that form on the surface of bricks and other materials.

They examined the samples under powerful microscopes and X-rays to identify each material’s structure and tissue-specific chemical components.

According to the findings, the bricks and mortars were lime-based materials mixed with volcanic particles, probably added deliberately by the Romans.

Dr. “Simply put, the Romans built this monument using materials that react together and become stronger over time,” Rispoli told the Daily Mail.

This sketch of the Temple of Venus shows the location of some of the nine examples studied

Illustrated polarized light microphotographs of the bedding mortars used by the Romans in the construction of the Temple of Venus

He continued: ‘The key element is the use of local volcanic materials from the Phlegraean Fields.

‘When these volcanic ingredients were mixed with lime, they triggered a chemical reaction within the mortar that slowly created new minerals.

‘This process made the structure extremely robust and resistant to water, moisture and ground movements.’

The academic pointed out a type of volcanic ash known as pozzolana, which ‘is much more than a simple filler’.

“Puzzolan produced chemical reactions that, when mixed with lime, created a dense, long-lasting mortar,” he told the Daily Mail.

‘This technology allowed the Romans to build large, sturdy structures even in active volcanic terrain.’

The team also found evidence that scoria, a lightweight volcanic rock often used in landscaping and construction, was imported from the Vesuvius site slightly further east, where one of the most famous and deadly volcanic eruptions took place in the 1st century.

“To reduce weight, very light slags were used in the upper parts of the building, while stronger volcanic tuffs and lavas were placed in the support areas,” Dr Rispoli added.

After the statue of the Roman goddess of love and desire was found in 1595, the structure was named the Temple of Venus.

‘This careful choice of materials is one of the reasons why the monument still stands after almost two thousand years.’

The study provides further insight into ‘how the technical skills and production technologies acquired by the ancient Romans aimed for innovation, quality, sustainability, durability and, most importantly, beauty’.

‘From an architectural perspective, the Romans have inspired many societies, both past and present,’ say Rispoli and colleagues. geoheritage.

‘Their ability to build monuments, starting from simple geological materials and working up to more complex ones that will last over time, has been, and still is, a focus of interest for researchers.’

As it is known, the Romans established one of the largest empires in history by conquering the Mediterranean region and half of Europe.

Signs of their extensive influence and dominance can be seen in buildings, roads, aqueducts, temples and monuments.

Who was Emperor Hadrian?

Hadrian or ‘Caesar Traianus Hadrianus’ was Roman emperor from 117-138 and was once a first cousin of his predecessor, Trajan.

He was an enthusiastic scholar who traveled to almost every province of the empire and aimed to make Athens the cultural capital.

Despite his good work, the Senate found him aloof and authoritarian; others noted his enigmatic, curious and often cruel nature.

His marital relationship with Vibia Sabina was said to be unhappy. To find an heir, the childless couple adopted children and chose Hadrian’s successor, Antoninus Pius.

Although Hadrian was married, ancient sources reveal that he also had several homosexual relationships; among them is Antinous, a youth from Bithynia, modern-day Turkey.

Pictured: Busts of Emperor Hadrian and his lover, the Bithynian Greek youth Antinous, in the British Museum. Following Antinous’ death on the Nile, Hadrian founded a cult focused on the young man, and some experts believe he built a temple in Antinous’ honor on the grounds of Villa Adriana.

Hadrian is also known for Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman frontier fort in northern England.

Hadrian arrived in Britain in AD 122 and, according to a biography written 200 years later, ‘improved many things and was the first to build an 80-mile wall from sea to sea to separate the barbarians from the Romans’.