From a background, of "Creation" to a foreground of "The Roman Empire" a flow diagram of ancient history adorns the floor of a pagan temple. The flow of time is demarcated by 59 pairs of Ionic columns each representing a century with the major battles and other events of each period; each column bears the names of “those sovereigns by which the age is chiefly distinguished”, and on the ceiling eminent statesmen, thinkers, theologians, artists and military figures of each age. (Source: New York Public Library)