Temple of Juno Moneta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Juno Moneta Shown within Rome | |
| Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | Regione VIII Forum Romanum |
|---|---|
| Coordinates |  41°53′36″N 12°29′1″E |
| Type | Temple |
| History | |
| Builder | Lucius Furius Camillus |
| Founded | 344 BC[1] |
The Temple of Juno Moneta (Latin: Templum Iunonis Monetæ) was an ancient Roman temple that stood on the Arx or the citadel on the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Roman Forum.[2] Located at the center of the city of Rome, it was next to the place where Roman coins were first minted, and probably stored the metal and coins involved in this process, thereby initiating the ancient practice of associating mints with temples.[3] In addition, it was the place where the books of the magistrates were deposited.
Etymology
See also: Juno (mythology)
Juno Moneta, the second name associating the Roman goddess Juno with the goddess Moneta who was worshiped at some locations outside Rome, was regarded as the protectress of the city’s funds. Money was coined in her temple for over four centuries, before the mint was moved to a new location near the Colosseum during the reign of emperor Domitian.[1] Thus, moneta came to mean “mint” (mint itself being a corruption of moneta) in Latin, which was used in written works of ancient Roman writers such as Ovid, Martial, Juvenal, and Cicero, and was the origin of the English words “monetary” and “money”.
Cicero suggests that the name Moneta derived from the verb “monere” (to warn) because during an earthquake, a voice from this temple had demanded the expiatory sacrifice of a pregnant sow, connecting to the old Roman legend that Juno’s sacred geese warned the Roman commander Marcus Manlius Capitolinus of the approach of the Gauls in 390 BC.[2] But modern scholars reject this explanation, because it is clear that “Moneta” was the name of a goddess who was worshiped in some places outside Rome, and when her worship was transferred to Rome, she was equated with Juno.
Moneta is also a name used for Mnemosyne, mother of the Muses, by Livius Andronicus in his translation of the Odyssey, and Hyginus’ citation of Jupiter and Moneta as parents of the muses. The name Mnemosyne or Memory was connected to Juno Moneta who maintained in her temple an unimpeachable record of historical events.[2]
More at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Juno_Moneta