Romans regarded temples as sacred and holy places. They felt that temples were the homes of the gods. Each temple had a god's statue that was kept deep within the temple. This statue was usually on top of a heavy foundation and surrounded by colonnades. A flight of odd-numbered steps led to the entrance of the temple.
Only priests serving the gods were allowed inside the temples. Worshippers had to stay outside. The temple had an altar table outside for sacrifices, gifts , and offerings.
Often temples had adjoining buildings that were used as sanctuaries.
The Pantheon was a temple dedicated to all the gods. It was built in Rome by Agrippa in 27 BC. In 117-125 AD, Emperor Hadrian had the temple rebuilt. The original temple was rectangular with 16 single granite columns. The old part became the porch of the new structure. Hadrian had a dome shaped top placed on the structure. The center of the dome was opened. The floor below the opening is concave with a drain for rain water. The Pantheon has been used as a church since 609 AD.
