The Goddess Fortuna in Imperial Rome: Cult, Art, Text - University of ...

of the round temple and long portico attached to the temple’s porch recreate the
form of the tessera, indicative of the important role that the Temple of Fortuna
Huiusce Diei played in the distribution of grain in Rome. 546
Cicero’s joking remark, then, refers to the happy occasion during which
Roman citizens may partake in the grain dole, according to Coarelli. In this way
has the day of Catulus’ victory been immortalized to associate the temple with the
grain dole in the city, as sort of guarantor of the Roman citizens’ “daily bread.” 547
It is more probable, however, that Cicero’s offhand remark is more ironic.
Coarelli considers the temple and the grain dole in a positive light, but, since
grain shortages were anything but uncommon in Rome and the political position
to oversee the grain supply was very politicized, 548 Cicero seems to be much more
flippant than Coarelli’s assessment first suggests. A brief analysis of the grain
supply in Rome illustrates the feeling of uncertainty that pervaded the city
regarding food for the general population and the suitability of the imagery of
Fortuna with the grain distribution.
546 Coarelli (1997) 282-283. Coarelli also notes the similarity between the shape of the Temple
Huiusce Diei and the Temple of Hercules Musarum in the Circus Flaminius, which may have been
another architectural model for Catulus’ temple: Coarelli (1997) 476-484. In this discussion,
Coarelli also notes that the architecture of the Hercules’ temple may have influenced the design of
the Verrius Flaccus’ monument in Praeneste (480ff), which he has reconstructed in Coarelli
(1987), discussed in Chapter 5. LTUR (1996) A. Viscogliosi, “Hercules Musarum, aedes,” III.17-
19, dates the construction of the temple between 187 and 179 BCE.
547 Coarelli (1997) 289.
548 Garnsey (1988) 167ff.
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