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A Lesson About the Ancient Marketplace
The word Forum generally referred to the open
space in any Roman town where business, judicial,
civic, or religious activities were conducted. In Rome,
there were several forums. The most famous, the
Roman Forum, was designed by the architect
Vitruvius. For centuries, the Roman Forum was the site
of the city's most important public buildings including
the Arch of Septimius Severus, built in 203 B.C. and the
Rostra or public speaking platforms. The Roman Forum
became the spectacular showcase of the Empire
filled with beautiful statues and architecture.
The Roman Forum depicted by
Toni Onley in watercolor
The Roman Forum is located in a valley that is
between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill. It
originally was a marsh, but the Romans drained the
area and turned it into a center of political and
social activity. The Forum was the marketplace of
Rome and also the business district and civic center.
It was expanded to include temples, a senate house
and law courts. When the Roman Empire fell, the
Forum became forgotten, buried and was used as a
cattle pasture during the Middle Ages.
People would come to the Forum to buy and
sell anything and everything: meats and
produce; shoes and clothes; people - slaves,
prostitutes, mercenaries; and even money.
One could come to the Forum, get food for
supper, hire a mercenary to protect the
homestead, and get a loan for that add-on to
the house.
Although much of the forum has been
destroyed, there are still columns and stone
blocks that remain of some temples. The arch
of Titus and the arch of Septimius Severus still
stand and are in good shape. Like many other
ancient Roman buildings, stone blocks have
been removed from the Forum and used to
build nearby churches and palaces.
Arch of Septimius Severus
The arch honors Septimius Severus's
Victory over the Parthians. It also honors his
two sons, Caracalla and Geta who fought
with him in the war. It has on each long
side four free-standing Corinthian columns
flanking the three arches. It is located at
one end of the Forum. The Forum had been
flooded, buried and forgotten for many
centuries. During this time the half of the
arch that was above ground was used to
house a barber shop.
Temple
of
Saturn
The temple of Saturn was erected by the
consul Titus Larcius in 17 B.C. in the month of
December. It is the oldest structure. It was
used as the public treasury and as a repository
for the decrees of the senate. The poet Horace
worked in this treasury when he was a young
man. Treasures were held in an underground
chamber. The temple was enlarged in 42 B.C.
and rebuilt after a fire in the 4th century A.D.
Eight columns remain of this temple.
Roman Curia
(The Senate
House)
The Curia is the largest brick building that still
has a roof in the Forum. It was the Roman Senate
building. The building was a church until
1937, when the fascist government had the
interior removed and the original interior
exposed. What is left today of the ancient senate
building is the original marble floor made out of
Egyptian marble. Also, the tiers that held the
seats of the senators remain. The Curia is one of
the best preserved buildings in the Forum.
Temple of Antoninus & Faustina
The temple of Antoninus and Faustina is the
best preserved building in the Forum. The
Emperor Antonius Pius lost his wife Faustina.
After her death the Emperor built a
magnificent temple in her honor in 141 AD. This
temple was changed in the middle ages into
the church of "San Lorenzo in Miranda".
Arch of
Titus
The arch of Titus is located at the opposite
end of the forum from the arch of Septimius
Severus. Titus was the emperor that had
sacked the great Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
The arch was built in his honor. Sculptures on
this arch show the treasure of the Jews being
taken through the streets of Rome. On the
inside of the left leg of this arch, there is a well
known sculpture of Romans carrying away a
Jewish menorah.
The Rostra
The Rostra was the speaker’s
platform on the Roman Forum. The
Rostra is located in the main square,
between the Arch of Septimius Severus
and the Temple of Saturn. The speakers
platform was originally placed on the
Comitium, but moved to the main square
of the forum by Julius Caesar in 44 BC.