ROMAN BUILDINGS
PART 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:
Basilica
Aemilia
Divus
Julius
Temple of Antonius and
Faustina
Basilica of
Constantine
Curia
Arch of Septimus
Severus
Temple of Concord
Via
Sacra
Rostra
Temple Vespasian
Regia
Temple Saturn
Temple of
Vesta
Arch of
Tiberius
Column
of
Phocas
Basilica
Julia
Temple of Castor
and Pollux
Arch of
Augustus
House of the
Vestals
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.
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• Curia:
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• 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.
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• Basilica Aemilia:
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• 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.
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• Divus Julius: (Temple
of Caesar)
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• 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.
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• Temple of Antonius
and Faustina:
Inscription on Temple: “To the divine Antoninus and to the divine
Faustina by decree of the Senate.”
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• 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.
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• Basilica of Constantine:
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• 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.
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• Regia:
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• 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.
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• Temple of Vesta:
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• Atrium of Vesta:
Place where vestal
virgins lived.
Atrium
Statues of Vestal
Virgins
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• 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:
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• 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.
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• Basilica Julia:
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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• Temple of Saturn:
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• 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.
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• Temple of Vespasian:
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• Rostra:
– Platform from which
people spoke to
assembled crowds.
– Name comes from the
bronze ship beaks that
dedicated its front.
Rostra
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• 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.
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• Temple of Concord:
Part of the
entablature
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• 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