The Roman Forum
The Forum was the hub of daily life in Rome. Socialization, political discourse, commerce, and leisure all happened there. The piazza sat at the nexus of highly-trafficked government buildings, making it a natural meeting place.
Ancient Rome thrived because it was an economic powerhouse with a bustling population. Many Romans enjoyed a high standard of living thanks to the solid infrastructure and forward-thinking urban planning that allowed them to coexist, innovate, and contribute to societal growth.
Legend and History
According to myth, the site of the Forum was chosen as a natural meeting ground between Romulus, one of the founding brothers of Rome, and his chief rival, Titus Tatius. They used the space between their respective hills to communicate and bargain as needed.
Historically, the early Romans selected the site of the Forum for its spot between the Capitoline and Palatine hills. During the 7th century BC, the area was a wet marshland. After its construction, the Cloaca Maxima drained the site, transforming it into a central valley. The earliest Romans flattened the area, tamping down the land before laying gravel, and began to use it as their central meeting hub.
Subsequent Roman kings then directed the erection of a temple for the cult of Vesta and a royal palace, the Regia. An old Etruscan temple on the land served as a meeting place for senators. By 600 BC, the area received its first paving treatment.
Evolution and Transformation
Archaeological evidence indicates that the Forum began during the Roman kingdom. Initially, the site featured the Comitium, which roughly translates to "meeting space". This was an open-air site for public assembly, religious rituals, and social interaction. On the other end of the location, temples to Vulcan and the Vestals housed priests and served as worship sites.
Based on the historical record, the area became closer to what we now understand as the Forum around 500 BC, when the Roman Republic was established. The Senate localized political and judicial activity there. The government then began acquiring the private property in the rectangular site, linking the Comitium with the Vestal Temple. During this time, urban planners began adding more temples, rotundas for public speeches, and seating.
Renovations were ongoing and made to suit the changing needs of the people over the next 500 years. Unlike pre-planned piazzas in other parts of Rome, there was never a grand design for the Forum. It simply morphed as societal attitudes shifted and demand grew.
Julius Caesar undertook construction to remake the Forum because Rome had outgrown the initial space. He ordered an expansion adjacent to the original site, installing more platforms for public speaking, updating many of the structures, and establishing a more unified construction pattern.
Following his assassination and the ensuing civil war, the Roman Empire was established. Augustus then finalized and executed his uncle's plans, transforming the Forum into the expansive space it became.
Notable Structures
While extensive ruins survive today, it's only a fraction of what once stood.
The Roman's detailed historical records and research investigations have revealed many of the major buildings and structures that did not survive to modernity. Monuments may have fallen to disrepair, sites may have been razed and built on top of, and natural disasters all wiped out parts of the Forum.
In addition, as time went on, the Romans and subsequent inhabitants tore structures down to repurpose the building materials for new projects, as was the case for many other magnificent structures such as The Colosseum.
According to legend, Romulus swore to erect a Temple of Jupiter to commemorate the battle against the Sabines. He never did, but records show that Atilius Regulus built a Temple dedicated to Jupiter in 294 BC.
The Basilica Julia, in honor of Caesar, is thought to have been initiated in 56 BC. Due to assassination and political strife, it was left unfinished until Augustus rebuilt and completed it by 12 AD. It was 330 feet by 160 feet, and made of marble, stone, and wood.
The Temple of Castor and Pollux was an enduring feature of the Forum. Initially built in 499 BC by Aulus Postumius Albinus to commemorate the Battle of Lake Regillus, it was destroyed and rebuilt by Cecilius Metellus Dalmaticus. The temple deteriorated over the centuries before Gaius Verres restored it in 73 BC. During the Imperial period, it was converted to use as a treasury.
Activities at the Forum
While each town had its piazza and public spaces, the Forum was the signature meeting area in all of Rome. By today's standards, it was a mixed-use site that was adaptable based on the season, current events, and government agendas.
Government Affairs and the Judiciary
The chief function of the Forum was to house the key governmental buildings. The Senate met there to deliberate and discuss at the Curia. The Senate building was destroyed many times over the years through fires and rebuilt.
Over time, the Forum functioned as a civic center, with a record-keeping office, administrative buildings, and officials who settled conflicts over zoning and other ordinances. Law and order were administered in public. Roman judges presided over well-attended criminal trials at the Forum.
Public Speeches
Roman politicians and leaders leveraged the captive audiences and the draw of the Forum to deliver public addresses and speeches. Over the centuries, the site featured varying daises and platforms for orators to deliver rousing entreaties to action, funeral speeches, and other decrees.
Gladiatorial Matches
Gladiators were present in Rome throughout much of its history. Before the erection of the Colosseum, smaller-scale matches at the Forum entertained spectators.
Religious Ceremonies
Throughout its entire existence, the Forum was home to temples dedicated to specific Roman gods, cults, and sects. Worshippers would visit to make sacrifices, leave offerings, and observe rituals to win good fortune.
The location also gave priests, soothsayers, and oracles proximity and access to politicians and other officials.
Commerce
The Forum's humble beginnings as an outdoor marketplace persisted as it grew and expanded. The high-traffic area was ideal for trade and sales because it was a destination for people from across the city and Empire.
Merchants used the Forum as a convenient meeting space to conduct negotiations and business deals.
The Decline of the Forum
During Imperial Rome, the Forum became known as the Great Forum for its governmental and historical significance. By the 1st century AD, there was no longer room for additions or expansion.
Each subsequent Roman emperor began constructing forums that functioned as monuments to their reach, grandeur, and wealth.
The Forum remained symbolically important, but commerce and politics began moving away to newer constructions that were dispersed yet accessible. By 330 AD, when Constantine moved the capital to Constantinople and shifted the seat of governmental power, the Forum was essentially abandoned and left to crumble.
As the Goths and Barbarians terrorized Rome from 400 AD to 500 AD, more people fled, and the Forum continued deteriorating. An earthquake in the early 800s destroyed the remnants of the site. The area then flooded and was buried under sediment. Eventually, the vast flatland became a cow field.
Through the Middle Ages and Renaissance period, the site became a dumping ground and was again raided for construction materials.
Archeological Discovery and Excavation
While the location of the Forum was never truly lost, lack of interest left it unexplored for hundreds of years. Archeologist Carlo Fea is credited with unearthing the Forum with his excavation of the Arch of Septimius Severus in 1803.
The next 100 years were spent studying the site and carefully exploring the ruins; they weren't fully unearthed until the early 20th century. Fascinatingly, because the Romans simply built atop the ruins that pre-dated them and expanded upon their construction, the site has monuments and artifacts spanning the entire era of Roman history.
Surviving Ruins
Today, the ruins of the ancient Forum in Rome is one of the world's premier tourist sites. The location features raised walkways and other paths that allow you to explore amidst the ruins while preserving the area.
The Forum is located in the modern-day city of Rome, Italy, near the ruins of the Colosseum. Visitors can take self-guided, audio, or guided tours depending on timing.
The most famous ruins include:
- The Temple of Saturn, built in 42 BC, is the Forum's signature ruin. The eight surviving columns are from the temple's facade.
- The Curia is the building that housed the Senate and where key government decisions were made.
- The Arch of Septimius Severus, the first uncovered ruin, was erected in 203 AD to honor the third anniversary of Emperor Septimius Severus' rule.
- The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine is the modest remains of what most historians believe was the largest and most important building within the Forum.
- The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina was erected in the 2nd century AD. It's the most complete and well preserved of all the surviving temples.
- You can walk along the Via Sacra, the main street that ancient Romans took between the Piazza del Campidoglio and the Colosseum.
- The Arch of Titus is a victory arch erected posthumously to commemorate Rome's victory over Jerusalem and honor Emperor Titus.
- The Column of Phocas, which dates to 608 AD, was erected in honor of the Emperor of Byzantium. It's one of the only surviving columns in the entire Forum.
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