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Pantheon Facts & Worksheets

The Pantheon is an ancient temple devoted to the Roman gods that symbolized the Roman Empire's greatness.

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The Pantheon is an ancient temple devoted to the Roman gods that symbolized the Roman Empire‘s greatness. It is assumed that it was constructed in 27 BCE by Marcus Agrippa. This historic wonder can be seen in the Piazza Della Rotonda.

See the fact file below for more information on the Pantheon, or you can download our 28-page Pantheon worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

What is a Pantheon?

  • The word pantheon in Greek indicates that the monument was a temple dedicated to worshipping all gods, but this was never officially confirmed. 
  • According to Dio Cassius, an ancient historian, Marcus Agrippa intended to commit the edifice to Emperor Augustus, his close ally and eventual father-in-law.
  • Though Augustus declined the honor, evidence suggests that the Agrippa Pantheon contained numerous characteristics that strongly implied Augustus’ apotheosis (divinization as emperor) and pointed to a clear link between Augustus and his adopted father, Julius Caesar. 
  • Even though the Pantheon was not named in honor of anyone, Agrippa allegedly put statues of Venus, Mars, Julius Caesar, Augustus, and himself within the dome. He implied the emperor’s divine connection, confirming his status as a close ally.

Who built the Pantheon?

  • The Pantheon we see today in Rome was not the first edifice to stand on Campus Martius in ancient Rome.
  • The current Pantheon is the third, built about 200 years after Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa commissioned the first in 25-27 BCE, and Domitian commissioned the second. The first burned down in 80 CE, and the second was struck by lightning and burned down in 110 CE.
  • When this temple was destroyed by lightning after the renovation done by Domitian, Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of the Pantheon Temple in 118 CE, which is still standing today.
  • Given the era, the Pantheon was most likely constructed during Rome’s most brilliant period. Hadrian is famed for making the most significant and influential structures of the ancient Roman architecture era. 
  • He built massive baths, theaters, triumphal arches, and temples to extend his renown and power across vast areas. 
  • The Pantheon in Rome, on the other hand, is the outcome of Hadrian’s interest in holy architecture.

Structure of the Pantheon

  • The Pantheon is a massive rotunda with a 45-meter-diameter hemispherical dome (147,6 ft). Architects have done an outstanding job striking a perfect balance between the building height and the circumference. 
  • Due to precise engineering calculations, the spectacular dome rises and towers over visitors like the sky and where light moves throughout the day.
  • The building’s height is 42 meters, nearly equal to its diameter (137,8 ft). Air and light enter the Pantheon through the oculus in the center of the dome, which has a diameter of 9 meters (29,5 ft) and is known as “the Eye of the Pantheon.”
  • Dome This is a sphere placed on a ring of wedge-shaped stones that form the oculus and the side walls of the interior, which has a central plan because the dome’s height and diameter are both 43 meters. The top of the rotunda wall features a series of brick arches that are visible on the outside.
  • The dome’s interior is adorned with 140 coffers, a succession of recessed panels with both ornamental and structural benefits, significantly decreasing the weight of the arch. 
  • The weight of the dome has been assessed to be 5,000 metric tons. To support the 43-meter-diameter dome, the Romans utilized concrete, which they skilfully placed with a specific technique. 
  • According to this, the aggregate mix in the concrete becomes lighter as it ascends to the apex of the dome. As a result, the weight of the concrete, the dome’s primary material, is at its lowest near the oculus.
  • The Pantheon had the highest dome until the 55.6-meter-high dome of the Hagia Sophia was constructed in Turkey. However, it still features one of the world’s giant domes.
  • The Pantheon is one of history’s most copied and referenced architectural structures. 
  • The Pantheon dome inspired the domes of structures like the Thomas Jefferson Library at the University of Virginia, the Washington National Gallery of Art, and the Villa Rotunda.
  • The Oculus, the Latin term for an eye, is the hole in the middle of the Pantheon dome. As the dome’s height increases, its thickness and weight decrease. The concrete mass at the bottom, for example, is 6 meters (19,7 ft) thick and just 1,5 meters thick near “the eye of the Pantheon” (4,9 ft).
  • Entrance The entry portico of sixteen granite Corinthian columns emphasizes the temple’s magnificence.
  • Doors made in the 15th century welcome you inside. 
  • The dome’s walls are clad with marble and separated into two tiers from the inside. 
  • To expedite building, the lower layer comprises seven similar niches.
  • Tomb The Pantheon is one of the few surviving ancient Roman structures.
  • It has always piqued the interest of artists, scientists, and the general population. Michelangelo saw it as a divine creation.
  • Raphael, a famous Renaissance artist, started a trend for artists to be buried in the Pantheon. 
  • This event inaugurated a new era in the history of the ancient temple, changing it into a burial ground for prominent people.
  • From an architectural standpoint, the Pantheon is nearly the only monumental edifice that successfully combines grandeur with elegance. Its image significantly impacted architecture at the time and in the future.

The Purpose of the Pantheon

  • The Pantheon is a historic Roman temple in Rome, Italy. In 609 BCE, Phocas, the Byzantine emperor, gave the building to Pope Boniface IV, who converted it into a Christian church, which saved it from destruction and neglect. 
  • It was constructed on the site of an earlier Pantheon that served as a temple to all of the Roman gods.
  • Marcus Agrippa created the first structure in 27 BCE to commemorate his father-in-law, Emperor Augustus’ victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.
  • Earlier temples were frequently built in honor of a single god or goddess. One of them is the Parthenon in Athens or the Temple of Zeus. On the other hand, the Pantheon was dedicated to all gods worshipped in Rome. 
  • Pan means ‘all’ and ‘theon’ meaning god in Greek means “the gods,” as the name implies. For such a lofty honor, an ordinary temple would not have been constructed. 
  • The Pantheon, the most spectacular temple ever built, incorporates many technological advancements for the time it was constructed.
  • Some former pagan temples were turned into churches once the Romans accepted Christianity. The Pantheon of Rome, under Santa Maria Rotonda, benefited from this change in the 7th century.
  • As a result of this shift, a bell tower was built on each side of the building’s triangle pediment. These towers, however, no longer exist.

What happened to the very first Pantheon? 

  • A devastating fire damaged Agrippa’s Pantheon and several other buildings on Campus Martius around 80 CE. 
  • Emperor Domitian restored and rebuilt the Pantheon. However, a lightning strike in 110 CE caused another fire that burned the monument beyond salvage. 
  • This time, Emperor Trajan began a complete reconstruction of the building. Sources differ on whether Trajan or Hadrian was more in charge of the Pantheon’s design and completion. 
  • The current Pantheon has traditionally been identified with Hadrian and is often referred to as Hadrian’s Pantheon by academics.
  • However, additional evidence, such as construction dates and architectural elements, suggests that Trajan was more responsible for the new monument.

The Pantheon Now

  • Following its conversion to a Christian church, the Pantheon became the final resting place for Renaissance artists such as painter Raphael, composer Arcangelo Corelli, and architect Baldassare Peruzzi.
  • Kings are also buried there, notably Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy since the 6th century, who died in 1878; his son, Umberto I, who was assassinated in 1900; and Umberto’s wife, Queen Margherita, who died in 1926.
  • Today, the Pantheon is a popular tourist site for travelers from all over the world. It also functions as a Catholic church where mass is celebrated on Sundays and holy days. Occasionally weddings are also held there. 

Pantheon Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Pantheon across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Pantheon, which is an ancient temple devoted to the Roman gods that symbolized the Roman Empire’s greatness.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Pantheon Facts
  2. Let’s Dig Deeper
  3. Mark of the Past
  4. Historical Record
  5. The Right Direction
  6. Men in Charge
  7. The Interior 
  8. Travelers Diary
  9. Let’s Talk About It
  10. Architecture of All Time
  11. Little Pantheon

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Link will appear as Pantheon Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 10, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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