Exploring Second Life: Temple of Portunus

Second Life's Temple of Portunus is a recreation of an ancient Roman temple. Not only does this location provide a way to visit a historic site without paying the price of a plan ticket to Italy, but it gives a very different experience than visiting a place like this in person. When I visited, I had the temple to myself, an experience unlikely to be replicated at a true historic site. There were also details, such as lit braziers, that would not be used in the real world due to the risk of staining or other damage to the stone of the temple.

The temple also included posts that teleport a visitor to other sites, such as the Temple of Vesta. To add some extra atmosphere, the temple was filled with what appeared to be fireflies. This detail added an interesting visual to my visit that, again, would not likely be a part of a visit to the actual location.

The site also recreated a hypogeum, an underground temple with pillars and statues surrounding pleasant ponds. Thanks to the teleport system between the sites, I was able to visit three very different historical sites within a short period of time, something that would not be possible in the real world. While this series of sites can't give the experience of touching the stone or feeling truly surrounded by the history, the virtual version does offer certain advantages. If nothing else, it provides an interesting chance to explore for when a trip to the real thing is just not practical.