The story of Rome
Buildings and Fora
Capitolium
Capitolium is the name of one of the hills of Rome. The name crossed later to the treefold temple, dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Juno and Minerva. After the unition of the Latin settlement and the Sabine this was the citadel of Rome. The temple of Jupiter was situated on the south-top, on the north-top the temple of Juno Moneta was situated. In 269 BC the Royal Mint was established here. In 78 BC Quintus Lutatius Catulus built the 'tabularium' , the public record office, between the tops of the hills,. The temple of Jupiter was dedicated to him in the beginning of the Republic, 509 BC. It was the centre of religion in the Roman empire, but also the place where the 'libri Sibyllini' (oracle books) and the colours were stored. The temple was built on a plateau, on the south-west slope was the Tarpejic rock, the place where traitors were trown off. In the south-east corner there was a descenting road to the Forum Romanum: the Via Sacra. In 387 BC the Gallic people tried under leadership of Brennus to capture the Capitolium. With the capture of the Capitolium by Sulla, 83 BC, it was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 69 BC, and again destroyed by fire in 69 AD, rebuilt in 75 AD and lived until the 6th century. In the Middle Ages it has been damaged so much that almost nothing remains of the antique Capitolium.
The Forum Romanum.
About 28 centuries ago, according to the myth, Romulus and Remus landed in this valley between the Palatine and Capitol. Here they were nurtured by the wolf until they were found by Faustulus. Later this square would become the center of Roman power.
In fact until the sixth centure B.C. the Forum was nothing but a swamp and it was only thanks to the Etruscan kings who built a draining system that a market place could be built. It was at that time also that the Via Sacra, the holy road that lead to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitolium, was constructed right accross the Forum and that the first buildings were built on the Forum itself. Over the years more and more temples, public buildings and monuments were built here. The last monument was built here in 608, a monument for the Byzantine Emperor Phocas. After that time some buildings were used as churches, but a lot of buildings were torn down and a bricks were used as building material for new buildings. Until the eighteenth century the Forum was used to let cows graze. After that time the archeological research started that has continued until now.
The center of the Forum was the Rostra . From this vast speaking platform, 21 x 12 m., the orators spoke to the people of Rome. During the consulat of Sulla in 83 B.C. 4700 romans were beheaded and their heads were placed on the Rostra. Here held Cicero held his famous speech against Catilina, who plotted against Rome, in 64 B.C. The Rostra was also the place for the funeral orations for important deceased Romans.
The Rostra was not only the centre of the Forum, but also the centre of Rome and the Roman Empire. Right behind it there was the Miliarium Aureum. Roads to all parts of the Empire started at that goldened milestone.
The Forum also had a great religious meaning. There still are a lot of menainders of old temples. The Basilica Aemilia was built in 179 B.C. and it burnt down in 410. It was built out of very precious marble and some very nice decorations are still visible. In the floor of the Basilica there are some coins that got stuck in the melted lead from the roof.
Next to the Basilica Aemilia there was the Curia Senatus . Here the Senat seated. It was built for the first time in the seventh century B.C. and it was rebuilt several times. In 1932 there was a retauration of the Curia and then the original marble floor was found. Before the Curia there used to be the Comitium, the place were the assemblies of the people of Rome took place, but only very little remains of it.
The oldest monuments of the Forum is the Lapis Niger, positioned right in front of the vast Arch of Septimus Severus. It is a black rock with an inscription from the sixth century B.C. Nobody knows what the inscription means exactly. Some ancient stories tell that under the Lapis Niger there is the grave of Romulus or Faustulus or the grave from one of the kings of Rome.
The very large Arch of Septimus Severus, it is 21 meters high and dominates the Forum, dates from the emperial age. It was built in 203 when Septimus Severus had been an emperor for ten years. The carving show pictures from wars in near Asia.The inscription reads:
IMP. CAES. L. SEPTIMO. M. F. SEVERO. PIO. PERTINACI. AVG. PATRI. PATRIAE. PARTHICO. ARABICO. ET. PARTHICO. ADIABENICO. PONTIFICI. MAXIMO. TRIBVNIC. POTEST. XI. IMP. XI. COS. IIII. POCOS. ET. IMP. CAES. M. AVRELIO. L. FIL. ANTONIO. AUG. PIO. FELICI. TRIBVNIC. POTEST VI. COS. PROCOS. OPTIMIS. FORTISSIMISQUE. PRINCIPIBVS. OB. REM. PUBLICAM. RESTITVITAM. IMPERIVMQUE. POPVLI. ROMANI. PROPAGATVM. INSIGNIBVS. VIRTVTIBVS. EORVM. DOMI. FORISQUE. S. P. Q. R.
To the Imperator Caesar Lucius Septimius (son of Marcus)Severus, Pius Pertinax Augustus, Father of his country, conqueror of Parthian vassals in Arabia and Adiabene, chief pontiff, tribucian powers for the eleventh time, hailed Imperator eleven times, consul four times, procunsul: and to the Imperator Marcus Aurelius (son of Lucius) Antonius Augustus Pius Felix, tribunician power for the commonwealth was restored and the empire of the Roman People enlarged by their outstanding virtues at home and abroad: set up by Senate and People of Rome.
The Tempel of Saturn , in the south-west corner of the Forum, was the most popular temple during the age of the Republic. It was built in 498 B.C. and restaured in 42 B.C. In this temple the aerarium, the treasury of the state, was kept. There are still quite a lot of remains, like the Ionic columns with their remarkable heads.
Next to the Temple of Saturn lie the remnants of the Basilica Iulia . This building of 101 x 49 meters, built by Julius Ceasar between 54 en 46 B.C. marks the end of the Forum in the south. Six rows of pillars still remain and in the remains of the floor some tabulae lusoriae, card-tables, can still be found.
Before the Basilca Iulia you can see a polygonala basin. It is the Lacus Curtius. According to the myth the earth opened here in 362 B.C. and it would only close until the biggest treasury of Rome would be thrown into it. Marcus Curtius said it had to be the bravery of its citizens and he jumped into the crack in the earth that closed right away. This monument commemorates that brave action. A copy of a relief shows the leap of Marcus Curtius.
Forum Boarium
The Forum Boarium is the oldest market in Rome, it was the cattle market. The most important North-South connections crossed the Tiber near the Forum Boarium. The Forum Boarium is older than the city and the Forum Romanum. On this square there used to be old temples, e.g. the temple of Fortuna and the temple of Mater Matuta (the mother of the dawn). It is said that these temples were built by Servius Tullius. They were built in the late 6th century and in the early 5th century BC. Nowaday there are two temples of the 1st century BC. The rectangular building was the temple of Portunus , the protector of the harbour. The basic idea of only a stairs at the front and closed side and back walls was copied by the Romans from the Etruscans. The Ionic pillars and half-pillars were inspirated by the Greek architecture. The now with bricks closed windows were created when the church of St. Maria Egiaziaca was established in the temple. The round temple of Vesta , was always attributed to the goddess Vesta, but was in fact delicated to Hercules Victor. It is the oldest marble building of the ancient Rome. This building also remained, because of its function of church.