Temple of Jupiter Feretrius
The temple depicted here is the temple of Jupiter Feretrius. This temple had a special meaning in the early stage of Roman religion. It is said to be the first temple built in Rome, probably on the Capitoline hill (where the modern word ‘capitol’ derives from). It was associated with the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus, who created this temple to consecrate his spoils to the god after defeating a foreign general.
This was the first instance of spolia opima being dedicated to the temple, which set the paradigm for Marcellus. The temple was relatively small and gradually lost its importance. Roman biographer Cornelius Nepos tells us that by the time our coin was issued, it had been neglected. Some years later, after losing its roof and almost falling into ruins, Augustus, the first Roman emperor, paid to have it rebuilt.