* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download The Roman Forum
Survey
Document related concepts
Alpine regiments of the Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Culture of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Promagistrate wikipedia , lookup
Senatus consultum ultimum wikipedia , lookup
Julius Caesar (play) wikipedia , lookup
Roman emperor wikipedia , lookup
The Last Legion wikipedia , lookup
Roman historiography wikipedia , lookup
Roman temple wikipedia , lookup
History of the Roman Constitution wikipedia , lookup
History of the Constitution of the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
The Roman Forum How had the Emperor Augustus left his mark on central Rome by the time of his death in A.D. 14? A B C D E F G ▲ The Forum Romanum at the time of Augustus H I J K L M Drawing from Connolly, P. (1998) The ancient city (Oxford) p. 110. N P Tabularium Temple of Concord Temple of Saturn Basilica Julia rostra Temple of Castor and Pollux Temple of the Deified Julius Caesar Temple of Vesta Regia Basilica Aemilia Curia Julia Forum of Julius Caesar Temple of Venus Genetrix Forum of Augustus Temple of Mars Ultor It has long been recognised that one of the most compelling means by which Augustus staked his claim to power over Rome, alongside his political reforms, his military achievements and his literary propaganda, was his self-insertion into the visible fabric of the city of Rome. Everywhere you went in the city, you would see a building built or restored by Augustus, a dedication in his name, a statue of the emperor, or a reminder of his divine heritage. This activity is your opportunity to explore how Augustus has left his mark on one small, but crucial, are of central Rome. The resources you have been encouraged to use should demonstrate that a lot of relevant information is available on the Forum area and its buildings, and there are many different ways of approaching and tackling this activity. You may have opted to examine a small number of buildings as case-studies for this activity, or you may have decided to approach the activity by means of building types ('social', 'political' and 'religious', for example). Either way is perfectly legitimate, and there are many other ways of going about this. What you need to come up with in the end, though, is a more sophisticated understanding of the effect that the emperor had on the landscape of Rome. Here are a few suggestions: 1. The Three Fora You will see from the plan that, by A.D. 14, there was not one but three fora (the plural of forum) in central Rome: the old, main Forum, which had been in use since the sixth century B.C.; the Forum of Julius Caesar, begun by Julius Caesar and completed by his heir Augustus after Caesar's death; and the Forum of Augustus, dedicated by Augustus in 2 B.C. Coin depicting the Temple of Venus Genetrix in the Forum of Caesar Not only does this mean that Augustus' activities had nearly tripled communal Roman space in this area, but the new space was named after the emperor, and made visitors think of him. The Forum of Julius Caesar was dedicated to Augustus' adopted father and had at its centre a Temple to Venus Genetrix, the goddess from whom the Julian family claimed descent. The Forum of Augustus had at its centre, besides a gilded bronze statue of Augustus on a four-horse chariot, a temple to Mars Ultor (Mars the Avenger), dedicated (in part) because Augustus had avenged the murder of Julius Caesar and set up to the god who was the father of Augustus' ancestor Romulus, who had founded Rome. Reconstruction of the Forum of Augustus, looking towards the Temple of Mars Ultor Look at the reconstruction drawing: if you imagine a visitor walking into the old Forum through the arch next to Temple G, and then walking through up to the Forum of Julius Caesar, and then through into the Forum of Augustus, what does that walk tell you about the progression of time and Augustus' role in Roman history? Why is the choice of gods for Temples M and P such a successful piece of Augustan propaganda? The area immediately behind Temple P and sprawling round the back of Building J was the Subura, a seedy commercial and residential district of Rome that was famous for its dirt, squalor and its down-and-outs. Before Augustus, this district opened out on to the old Forum. What was the effect of the two new fora on the visibility and accessibility of the Subura, and why do you think this was significant for Augustus' urban image? 2. Temple of the Deified Julius Caesar This temple was vowed by Augustus (who was then called 'Octavian') two years after Julius Caesar's death, and finally completed in 29 B.C. It was the first temple to be dedicated to a Roman who had died, and Julius Caesar was the first historical figure to be declared a god after his death. Look at its position in the old Forum. Where is it facing? What is the significance, do you think, of its position immediately adjacent to the Temple of Vesta (H) and the Regia (I)? If you were delivering a speech from the Rostra (public-speaking platform) – itself built by Augustus – what do you think might be the significance of your view down towards the temple of the Deified Julius Caesar? Coin issued by Octavian (later Augustus) in 36 B.C. showing the temple of the Deified Julius (before it was built). 3. Basilica Julia This building, essentially a law court, was begun by Julius Caesar and completed by Augustus. It demonstrated Augustus' authority over legal activities in the city. The Forum already had one Basilica, the Basilica Aemilia. How do the two buildings compare in the reconstruction? Why do you think Caesar and Augustus felt the need to build another? Is this new Basilica an exercise in stamping a new identity on Rome, or in creating continuity? Reconstruction of the Basilica Iulia The adjective 'Julia' means 'belonging to the Julian family' – i.e. the family of which Julius Caesar and Augustus were part. Many buildings set up by Caesar and Augustus, as well as laws they passed, were described like this. One further example, begun by Caesar and completed by Augustus, is the Curia Julia – the new Senate House of Rome. What can you say about the location of this new Senate house? Where is it facing? The Curia Iulia today 4. Other buildings Find out about some of the other buildings that were not directly linked to Augustus: the Temple of Concord (B), the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Temple F), the Basilica Aemilia (J). Did Augustus (or his family) have any effect on the appearance or use of these buildings? 5. Materials Augustus paved the entire floor of the old Forum with slabs of gleaming white marble freshly quarried from Carrara in northern Italy. Where else (on your reconstruction) was this white marble used, and what do you think the effect might have been on the appearance of central Rome at this time? Taking this further These are just a few ideas and pointers that might emerge from your research, but there are plenty of others. Use your initiative on the internet to find out more about the buildings examined in this activity, as well as features that are not mentioned in the reconstruction. As a modern comparison to the effect of Augustus on the urban image of Rome, you might try to find out about the construction, location and purpose of the 'Square Colosseum' at Rome, begun by the Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in the 1930s in a newly-built district of Rome called EUR. Start at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_della_Civilt%C3%A0_Italiana, and see what you can find out about the significance of this building, and the district in which it was built. The 'Square Colosseum'