Bocca della Verità

The Mouth of Truth (Italian: Bocca della Verità [ˈbokka della veriˈta]) is a marble mask in Rome, Italy, which stands against the left wall of the portico of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church, at the Piazza della Bocca della Verità, the site of the ancient Forum Boarium (the ancient cattle market). According to enduring medieval legend, it will bite off the hand of any liar who places their hand in its mouth,[1] or, alternatively, any who utters a lie while their hand is in the mouth.[2] It still attracts many visitors who audaciously insert their hands. The massive marble mask weighs about 1300 kg (2800 lbs) and probably depicts the face of the sea titan god Oceanus. The eyes, nostrils and mouth are open. Historians aren't quite certain what the original purpose of the disc was. It was possibly used as a drain cover in the nearby Temple of Hercules Victor, which had an oculus—a round open space in the middle of the roof, similar to that of the Pantheon. Hence, it could rain inside. It is also thought that cattle merchants used it to drain the blood of cattle sacrificed to the god Hercules. In the thirteenth century the disc was probably removed from the temple and placed against the wall of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin. In the seventeenth century it eventually moved to its current location inside the portico of the church.真理之口（意大利语：Bocca della della Verità，发音：/ˈbokka della veriˈta/）是一座坐落于意大利罗马的大理石面具，它立于真理之口广场（Piazza della Bocca della Verità）内的科斯梅丁圣玛利亚教堂（Santa Maria in Cosmedin）门廊左侧墙面，此处正是古罗马牛市（Forum Boarium，古代牲畜集市）的遗址。 根据流传已久的中世纪传说，若说谎者将手伸入其口中，便会被咬断手掌[1]；另有说法称，只要手在面具口中时说谎，便会触发此诅咒[2]。时至今日，这里仍吸引着诸多胆大的游客将手伸入面具口中。 这座体量厚重的大理石面具重约1300千克（2800磅），其原型大概率为海洋泰坦巨神俄刻阿诺斯（Oceanus）的面容，眼部、鼻孔与口腔均呈镂空状态。历史学家尚未完全明确这件圆盘状面具的原始用途：它或许曾作为排水盖板，被安置在附近的赫拉克勒斯·维克托神庙（Temple of Hercules Victor）中——该神庙与万神殿形制相仿，屋顶中央设有圆形露天开口（oculus），因此雨水可直接灌入殿内；另有观点认为，牲畜商贩曾用它来承接献祭给赫拉克勒斯的牲畜的血液。 13世纪时，这件圆盘状面具大概率被从赫拉克勒斯·维克托神庙移出，安置于科斯梅丁圣玛利亚教堂的墙面旁；至17世纪，它最终被移至如今所在的教堂门廊内。