▁create ▁this ▁col oss al ▁temple ▁complex . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁huge ▁quar ry ▁nearby ▁likely ▁played ▁into ▁the ▁Roman ▁decision ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁huge ▁" Gre at ▁Court " ▁of ▁a ▁big ▁pag an ▁temple ▁complex ▁in ▁this ▁mountain ▁site , ▁despite ▁being ▁located ▁at ▁ 1 1 0 0 ▁meters ▁of ▁alt itude ▁and ▁lying ▁on ▁the ▁remote ▁eastern ▁border ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁ 6 th - century ▁Greek ▁historian ▁John ▁Mal al as ▁dates ▁the ▁temple ▁to ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Anton inus ▁P ius ▁( AD ▁ 1 3 8 – 1 6 1 ), ▁ ▁construction ▁probably ▁started ▁soon ▁after ▁, ▁when ▁Ba al bek ▁became ▁a ▁Roman ▁col ony ▁known ▁as ▁Col onia ▁Julia ▁August a ▁Felix ▁H eli opol it ana . ▁It ▁was ▁largely ▁completed ▁by ▁AD ▁ 6 0 ▁as ▁ev iden ced ▁by ▁a ▁gra ff ito ▁located ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top most ▁column ▁drums . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁religious ▁site ▁during ▁the ▁Roman ▁emp ire , ▁and ▁em per ors ▁often ▁consult ed ▁the ▁temple ' s ▁oracle . ▁Tra jan ▁learned ▁of ▁his ▁im min ent ▁death ▁. ▁▁ ▁The ▁temple ▁complex ▁is ▁on ▁a ▁raised ▁pla za ▁ere cted ▁ ▁over ▁an ▁earlier ▁T - sh aped ▁base ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁pod ium , ▁st air case , ▁and ▁foundation ▁walls . ▁These ▁walls ▁were ▁built ▁from ▁about ▁ 2 4 ▁mon ol ith s , ▁at ▁their ▁lowest ▁level ▁we igh ing