Pantheon
Pantheon
the name among the Greeks and Romans for a temple dedicated to all the gods. It was in Rome also called the Rotunda. The "Pantheon" of Rome is a building deservedly celebrated for its fine dome. It suggested the idea of the domes of modern times. It was anciently dedicated by Agrippa, son-in- law to the emperor Augustus; but in A.D. 608 it was rededicated by pope Boniface IV to the Virgin Mary and all the saints (Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Marteri). In this once pagan but now Roman Catholic church may be seen different services going on at different altars at the same time, with distinct congregations around them, just as the inclinations of the people lead them to the worship of this or that particular saint. In 1632 a Barberini, then on the papal throne, thought he would add to his reputation by disfiguring the Pantheon, which he despoiled of the ornaments spared by so many barbarians, that he might cast them into cannon and form a high- altar for the church of St. Peter. (J. H. W.)
