Jupiter's Temple

The Temple of Jupiter is a compact, rectangular stone structure in the western part of Diocletian’s Palace, identifiable by the headless black granite sphinx that guards its entrance. Built between two hundred ninety-five and three hundred five, the temple was dedicated to the supreme Roman god Jupiter, whom Emperor Diocletian claimed as his divine protector and father. Because Diocletian unexpectedly abdicated the throne and moved into the palace before the project was fully realized, some of the stonework remains unfinished to this day.