When Rome's Gods Fell Silent

In 27 BC, Marcus Agrippa constructed the Pantheon in the heart of Rome — a soaring temple dedicated to every god in the empire. For six centuries, Romans passed beneath its massive bronze doors to honor Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and dozens of lesser deities. The great dome, still the largest unreinforced concrete dome on earth, was designed to mirror the heavens — a monument to the supposed power of Rome's gods.…