ROMAN BUILDINGSPART ONE:

THE ROMAN FORUM

(Forum Romanum)

Rome

• Settled as early as the 9th – 8th century BC• Positioned where overland trade routes from

the south and east to Etruscan territories crossed the river.

• Legendary Founding of Rome• First bridge: Pons Sublicius, 600 BC.• Position: amongst 7 hills: Capitoline,

Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, Aventine and Palatine

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• The Forum: This was the area in Rome that was the political, religious and economic center. It emerged as such in the 7th century BC. Besides government buildings, many temples and shops were also located here.– Location: In a valley between the Capitoline Hill on

the west and the Palatine hill in the south. – The current image of the forum is a result of

changes made by Julius Caesar: Basilica Julia, new Curia, renovation of Rostra.

– The Forum suffered damage and destruction many times. Fire was always a problem. Parts of the Forum burned down several times.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Layout:Curia

Basilica Aemilia

Temple of Antonius and Faustina

Basilica of Constantine

House of the Vestals

Temple of Vesta

Regia

Via Sacra

Divus Julius

Arch of AugustusTemple of Castor

and PolluxBasilica Julia

Arch of Septimus Severus

Temple of Concord

Rostra

Column of Phocas

Arch of Tiberius

Temple Saturn

Temple Vespasian

Roman Buildings

• Curia: Normal meeting place of the Senate. – J. Caesar built the Curia Julia to replace the

earlier one which burned down. – Location: main square of the Forum.– Destroyed completely by fire in 283 AD. Rebuilt

shortly after by Diocletian.– Dimensions: made of brick. Rectangular.

• 8x27m and 21 m in height. (24x81x63h)• 3 windows above doorway only.• Single room inside, 2 lateral stepped platforms.

– Well preserved because it became a church in 7th Century.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Curia:

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Basilica Aemilia: Largest and only surviving

basilicas of the Roman Republic.– Basilica: Public building: courthouse, metting hall,

also religious functions.– Location: northeast side of the square in Forum. – First built in 179 BC. Rectangular plan.

• 70x29m (210x72) divided into 4 naves.• Floor, polychrome marble.

– Very little remains of the basilica: floor plan is visible and a few columns.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Basilica Aemilia:

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Divus Julius: (Temple of Caesar)– East side of the main square of forum.– Built by Augustus after Senate deified Caesar.– Completed: August 29 BC.– After Caesars body was taken by the people, it was placed on a

funeral pyre in the Forum and burned. • Initially a column was built on the spot.

– Temple rests on a tall podium with stairs on sides. 2 columns on sides.

– In front was a semi-circular recess with a small altar inside. This may be the location of the pyre.

– In front of the temple was a speakers platform.– Very little remains of the temple.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Divus Julius: (Temple of Caesar)

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Antonius and Faustina:– Built by emperor Antonius Pius after death of

his wife in 141. It is located on the Via Sacra by the Basilica Aemilia.

– Corinthian columns. Entablature decorated with griffins, acanthus scrolls. Broad stairway gives access to porch.

– It had two statues in front of Antonius and Faustina.

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Temple of Antonius

and Faustina:

Inscription on Temple: “To the divine Antoninus and to the divine Faustina by decree of the Senate.”

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Basilica of Constantine:– Last great basilica built in Forum.– Begun by Maxentius and finished by Constantine after

he defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, 312 AD.

– Commercial and admin activities.– Built with arches (other basilicas had flat ceilings).

• Construction: Largest structure at the time, combining both bath and basilica motifs.

– Consists of a central nave and 3 Barrel Vaults– Rectangular: 100x65m (300x195). Divided into a central

nave and lateral aisles with an atrium.– Remains: North Aisle and the three concrete barrel

vaults.

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Basilica of Constantine:

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Via Sacra:

– The main road through the Forum.

– It passes many important buildings.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Regia:– Originally the home of the kings of Rome.– Later, the office of the Ponifex Maximus, high

priest of Roman religion.– It is by the Divus Julius and

Antonius/Faustina.– Rectangular building with three houses, with 3

interconnected room. A courtyard with doorway to middle room.

– Religious complex.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Regia:

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Temple of Vesta: 7th BC (probably)

– On site of old Etruscan or Latin shrine– Vesta: goddess of hearth, family, home– One of the most ancient sanctuaries on Forum.

Eternal fire kept going inside.– Dedicated to Vesta, goddess of the Hearth.– By the Regia.– Served as a storehouse for the wills of senators– Circular ground plan. Entrance from the east.– Circular cella, surrounded by 20 Corinthian columns.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Vesta:

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Atrium of Vesta: Place where vestal virgins lived.

Statues of Vestal Virgins

Atrium

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Castor and Pollux:– Built in honor of two Roman heroes who helped defend Rome

from the Etruscans.– Built on site where they watered their horses.– Finished in 484 BC.– Destroyed in 14 BC by fire. Rebuilt by Tiberius in 6 AD.– Served as meeting place for the Senate.– Also served as the office of weights and measures and

depository for state treasury.– Its podium served as a speakers platform.– Corinthian columns: 8 and 11.– 32x49.5m. 7 m high.

Castor and Pollux

• In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux (known as Polydeuces to the Greeks) were twin brothers who appeared in several prominent myths. The twins were worshiped as gods who helped shipwrecked sailors and who brought favorable winds for those who made sacrifices to them. The Romans considered Castor and Pollux the patron gods of horses and of the Roman social order of mounted knights, called equites.

• In one of the earliest myths about the twins, Castor and Pollux rescued their sister Helen* after she had been kidnapped by Theseus*, king of Attica.

• The twins also accompanied Jason* and the Argonauts on their voyage in search of the Golden Fleece.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Castor and Pollux:

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Basilica Julia:– Built in 54-48 BC by J. Caesar.– Location: southside of main square of Forum– Destroyed by fire in 9 BC. Rebuilt in 2 BC.– Huge dimensions: 101x49m.– Function: house activities of Forum when

weather prohibited outdoor activities. Administrative offices of city housed here. Basic floor plan can be seen. Some parts of brick walls remain.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Basilica Julia:

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Column of Phocas:– Location: main square

of Forum.– Dedicated to

Byzantine emperor, Phocas.

– Built in AD 608.– Last item built in

forum.– Corinthian column

13.6 m high.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Arch of Tiberius:– Built to commenorate the recovery of Roman

standards lost to Germanic tribes by Varus in 9 AD.

– It is dedicated to Tiberius (emperor) even though the standards were recovered by Germanicus in 15-16 AD.

– Only foundations remain. Probably a single arch with Corinthian columns.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Saturn:– Oldest temple in Forum?, 498 BC.– Location: W. end of Forum.– Destroyed and rebuilt three times.– Ionic order, 6 columns on the facade.– In front of podium were two rooms, one

served as state treasury.– Altar dedicated to Saturn stood in front of

temple. Statue to Saturn stood inside temple.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Saturn:

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Vespasian:– Built after death of Vespasian 79 AD. – Dedicated to him and his son, Titus.– Behind Temple of Saturn.– 22x33m. One cella. Corinthian columns 15.2m

high.– Very little left. Three columns, piece of

entablature. Pieces of inscription identify it.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Vespasian:

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Rostra:

– Platform from which people spoke to assembled crowds.

– Name comes from the bronze ship beaks that dedicated its front.

Rostra

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Concord:– Built to commemorate the agreement reached

between Patricians and Plebs in 367 BC.– Located by the Temple of Vespasian.– 45x24m. Wider than deep.– Most of it was destroyed. Podium and threshold

to door of cella remain, Corinthian capital.– Sometimes used for Senate meetings. – Also used as a museum for Greek sculpture

and paintings.

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Temple of Concord:

Part of the entablature

ROMAN BUILDINGS

• Arch of Septimus Severus:– Built in 203 AD to celebrate victory over the

Parthians.– Located between the Curia and Rostra.– Three way triumphal arch. – 20.88m high, 23.27m wide, 11.2m deep.– Built of brick and travertine. Columns:

composite order.– Very well preserved.

ROMAN BUILDINGS• Arch of Septimus

Severus