The strategic position of the Capitoline Hill, with respect to both the Tiber River and overland communications, makes it a natural fortress.

The Hill has two summits. The Arx is the northern summit, the term is sometimes used (as in Livy) for the whole Hill, and is an excellent stronghold. The southern summit is called the Capitolinus , perhaps because of the discovery of a large skull -caput there.
The area between the two summits is called the Asylum.
During the time of Romulus, fugitives were offered asylum in Rome and settled on the eastern slopes of the Capitoline. This is the origin of the term asylum.

The arx, with the Temple of Juno Moneta and the Temple of Virtus, also stood on the northern tip of the two knolls which comprised the height. There are two flights of steps, the Centum Gradus and the Gradus Monetae, which led to the top of the hill from the forum side.
The main entrance to the Capitoline is on the south-eastern side, towards the Forum, reached by the Capitoline Clivus (slope).

Climbing the zig zag path up the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill, we approach with reverence the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus. This is the location of all our most sacred and political ceremonies, the symbol of Rome's authority as caput mundi .
The splendid spoils of our victories and votive offerings are here.

Built in 509 BC, it has a rectangluar Greek appearance, but its podium is a Roman feature. Like Etruscan temples, it has three chambers. The walls and columns were made of tufa, the covering was wood overlaid with sheets of terracotta.



Tarquin the Proud completed the Temple of Jupiter, which had been begun by his father.



It is dedicated to the Capitoline Triad of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. The statue of Jupiter is now made of gold and ivory, like the statue of Zeus of Olympia. (In the central chamber was a terracotta statue of Jupiter, made by Vulca from Veii. The great god has thunderbolts in his right hand, his face painted red, and dressed in precious fabrics). In the side chambers are statutes of Juno and Minerva. Above the pediment are acroteria which supports a bronze four horse chariot of Jupiter in the center and Minerva and Mars at the sides.

Destroyed several times by fire, it has had many restorations, including that by Sulla in 83 BC, Augustus in 26 BC, Vespasian in 75 AD, and Domitian in 82 AD. We have now covered the walls with marble, in the hope to save it from further destruction by fire. The columns are now white Pentelic marble. The roof is gilt bronze tiles and the doors are covered with gold sheets, isn't it magnificent!

In and around this holy Temple zone there are many small temples, altars, shrines and porticoes which will visit when we get into the Forum. The area was so crowded with statues of generals and famous men that Augustus moved the lot to the new part of the city, the Campus Martius .

The Tabularium , the State archives built in 78 BC is on the edge of the Capitoline going toward the Arx. It contains the oldest surving examples of Roman concrete vaulting. Aren't we clever builders...





The southern tip of the Capitoline Hill has the Rupe Tarpea - the Tarpeian Rock. Traitors and condemned criminals are thrown to their death from the cliff. It is named for Tarpeia, the daughter of Spurius Tarpeius, defender of the Capitol in the Sabine War of the 8th century BC. The Sabines bribed Tarpeia to let them up to the Capitol> The reward for her treachery was to be what they wore on their arms, and she was crushed to death between their shields.




Let us next walk down into the Forum.