| The Forum In Rome -
A Unique Part Of Roman History You Should
Visit
There is a very unique part of Roman history that you will
want to visit between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill near
Rome. The Forum Romanum or the Roman Forum, may be one of the
most ambitious archaeological projects of all time. By way
of background, long before the first century AD, this area
known as the Roman Forum was the premier political and cultural
hot bed for the Roman Empire.
The Roman Forum was under construction for literally hundreds
of years but by the seventh century BC, it was already an important
center of culture for the Empire. By the beginning of the first
millennium, the Roman Forum began to take on its final form
under the guidance of Octavian, the son of Julius Caesar.
Because the Roman Forum consisted of not one but a dozen temples,
arches and other buildings, it earned the right to also be
called by many "The Great Forum" or Forum Magnum.
The location was originally marsh land that the designers drained
and utilized to build an important cultural melting pot for
social interaction, legal discussions, political discourse
and religious activities for royalty and citizens of Rome alike.
After the infamous fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century,
the Roman Forum went into decay due to lack of upkeep. By the
time the Middle Ages came along, farmers grazing their cattle
on the site had little awareness of the significance of the
site. It wasn't until the Renaissance that historians discovered
the Forum again. A project to restore and repair the Roman
Forum was undertaken in the 18th century and that project is
still active to this day.
But the restoration has been effective because walking around
the vast complex of diverse structures, the glory of this facility
can be appreciated.
Teams of volunteers and archaeologies have restored the paved
streets and cleaned up the debris left by centuries of decay
so the Forum can be enjoyed by you and I. But if you include
the Roman Forum in your tourist plans, it will take more than
a day to see this vast facility. But even a few hours at the
site will give you a real feel for what life at the height
of Rome's might must have been like.
A great example of the huge scale that the wealthy Roman Empire
was capable of bringing to a project like this is the Temple
of Venus and Roma. This temple is luxurious and massive because
it was built specifically for Emperor Hadrian's use. It is
on a fabulous plateau from which you can see the Roman Colosseum
in the distance.
Just as impressive is the Temple of Concord. In 367 this temple
that was dedicated to peace took its place in the western quadrant
of the Forum. At the peak of the Forum's glory, this temple
was full of expensive statues made of silver and gold. Even
after restoration today, it is striking evidence of the skills
and abilities of the Roman builders.
Temples abounded in the Forum including Temples to Castor,
Pollux, Vespasian, Saturn and many others and the ability of
Roman builders to construct such a vast diversity of temples
is a testimony to the vision, the leadership and the ability
of Roman architects to make that vision a reality. In addition
to the temples, the Forum had many other kinds of buildings
as well.
Beautiful arches make strolling the walkways of the Roman
Forum a delight. These arches were the creation of the Romans
and they are so elegant and functional that nobody could improve
on them for centuries to come. Two examples not to be missed
are the Arch of Septimus Severus and the Arch of Titus.
The Roman Forum was also a place for political dialog and
The Rostra was a perfect place for a Roman politician to state
his case. If you stand under the Rostra, you can get a feel
for what it was like to live in those times. Along with temples,
many shrines such as the Lapis Niger (or Black Stone) and the
Via Sacra demonstrate the creative imagination that Roman builders
were capable of bringing to a project.
On a trip to Rome, you really have not experienced the true
history of the area until you have given a day to touring the
Roman Forum and taking in some of these sites. It will give
you good perspective not only on the ability of early civilized
man to accomplish great things but also on mankind's ability
to lose it all if we are not careful.
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