Temple of Bacchus . This temple was in fact dedicated to Venus/Astarte, not Bacchus, and is the most beautifully decorated temple in the Roman world. Completed around AD 150, it is also in a great state of preservation. While it wasn't built on the scale of the Temple of Jupiter, it more than makes up for this with style and decoration.
Ironically it was called 'the small temple' in antiquity, although it is larger than the Parthenon in Athens. The entrance is up a flight of 30 stairs with three landings. It has a portico running around it with eight columns along the façade and 15 along the sides. They support a rich entablature; the frieze is decorated with lions and bulls. This supports a ceiling of curved stone, which is decorated with very vivid scenes: Mars; a winged Victory; Diana taking an arrow from her quiver; Tyche with a cornucopia; Vulcan with his hammer; Bacchus; and Ceres holding a sheaf of corn. The highlight of the temple is the doorway, which has been drawn and painted by many artists, its half-fallen keystone forever a symbol of Baalbek. Inside, the cella is richly decorated with fluted columns. The 'holy place' was at the back of the cella, which is reached by another staircase with two ramps. When the temple was in use, this would have been a dark and mysterious place, probably lit dramatically by oil lamps with piercing shafts of daylight falling on the image of the god or goddess. You get a wonderful view of this temple from the south side of the temple Temple of Jupiter.
