The temple celebrates deified Vespasian and Titus. The use to deify the dead emperors began with Caesar, and was a constant during the Empire. They gained the status of gods only after death, and it is said that Vespasian, a man presented by sources as a bit rough, but with a the great irony, as he felt that his hour was near, said: “I know I’m about to become a god”. And indeed it become a god. Three columns are still visible there to remind us.
A Christian pilgrim, visiting the city of Saint Peter in the eighth century, admired by all he saw around him, noted word for word what he saw, and when he arrived in front of the ruins of this temple, at that time much better preserved, copied the inscription. Today only a few letters remain. Near the temple there is the Porch of the dei consenti, the benevolent gods gathered in assembly. There were six gods and six goddesses. Their cult was introduced as a sort of maximum deployment of forces against the advance of Hannibal.