Roman Temple Getting New Old-Home

For nearly 50 years, the remains of a Roman Temple of Mithras have sat in Walbrook Square in London, though not exactly in the same spot it was built in.  When archaeologist and director of the Museum of London W.F. Grimes found it by accident in 1952, the whole thing was dismantled and placed in storage.  The more mobile artifacts were placed in the Museum of London and the temple was eventually reconstructed a short ways away from where it had originally stood around the 3^rd century.

The site that the temple was placed at in 1962 was a little more than 250 feet away and about 30 feet higher than the original site.  It was also mounted in cement mortar, a slight difference from the original foundations of the building.

So now, once again, the temple is set to be dismantled and moved.  Not to make way for progress or development, but to be put back in its original, historical location.  It will also be mounted in a way that is more appropriate to the way it would

have been nearly 2000 years ago.

So why all the moving around?  It turns out that financial data giant Bloomberg LP has bought up the spot where the temple originally was and wishes to return it home.  It’s not all charity, of course, as the temple will be rebuilt inside of Bloomberg’s new building.  People may come and visit it in a specially built observation area, all at the behest of the temple’s new sponsor.

Bloomberg may just be seeking to look like a patron of culture and history, or those in charge of the company may have a genuine historical interest.  They are, after all, footing an enormous bill to hire all the experts that will be needed to both remove and reconstruct the temple.  Whatever their reasons, I say kudos to them.  It’s not often that people see big companies putting in money and effort to preserve these important pieces of the past so that future generations will have the chance to experience and learn from them.