Among the cult buildings uncovered at the Pfaffenberg mountain sanctuary, Temple II (Groller “building S”) differs distinctly from the other two Jupiter temples (Temple I/Groller “building C” and Temple III) in its layout and large dimensions. The building was already associated with the worship of the Capitoline Triad by the ancient historian E. Bormann, and has been identified as the “Capitol”. During the most recent investigations, two building phases were identified: The evidence indicated that construction phase I was precisely designed as a Tuscan temple, according to the rules of Vitruvius. Thus, the masonry of the older construction phase revealed the rectangular layout of a building consisting of a cella, two rectangular wings, and four columns in the pronaos; this structure is dated to Hadrian’s time. During construction phase II, the building was expanded by the addition of a porticus and two ancillary rooms, while the Phase I building was converted into a spacious cella with platforms on either side. These changes probably occurred around 200 AD. The interpretation of this structure as a temple dedicated to an “oriental” or Near Eastern deity (such as Mithras, or Jupiter Dolichenus), however, could not be confirmed.
