Ricerc@Sapienza

Know since the second half of the Eighteenth century, the figural corinthian capitals of Cora (Latium) have not yet received adequate consideration and appropriate contextualization whthin this original type of Italic architectural decoration of the Hellenistic period. The present works analyses their form and meaning and highlights their formal, compositional and stylistic relationships with other and much better known series of similar artefacts from southern Italy and Etruria. The capitals in question belonged to one of the main temples of the Forum of Cora, which was probably erected to celebrate the end of the Hannibalic War and in memory of the city's loyalty to Rome of which Cora was allied during the wars against Carthage. In this sense, the temple, of Cora seems to share the theological and political contents of other more famous sanctuaries in southern Italy linked to the same historical events.