The arcades
The porticos were accessed from the square via three steps. By now, we are certain that in front of the columns of the façade, there were plinths with statues. The façade consisted of a single row of yellow Numidian marble columns with base attica (square bases) and Corinthian capitals in Luna marble. They were crowned by decorated main beams in separate blocks.
In the past, on top of the columns a high attic story was placed, which contributed to lightening the load of the porticoes. Without the division of the load the weight of the temple that rose above the columns would have crushed them. To hide its structural role the attic story was internally faced with a stucco ceiling. It was divided into protruding avant-corps with the female figures of Caryatides. Their elegant hairstyle was carved from a single block with the crest, egg and dart moulding and an abacus replicating a ‘basket’ made up the capital. On the bottom floor, among the Caryatides, quadrangular panels were placed. They were framed by a decorative band and Clipei were joined to them. They had imagines clipeatae (circular shied-like elements) whose convex frame varies with at least three different decorative motifs.
Foro di Augusto, Portici ed Esedre
Foro di Augusto, Attico dei Portici
Foro di Augusto, Facciata e Attico dei Portici
