The center in ancient Rome

The Roman Forum is a huge collection of heavily damaged ruins, as the square was not only rebuilt many times, but also used to extract stone for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. At some point, everything was even filled in and the site was used for agriculture. Archaeological work only began in the 18th century. But this neglected site was anything but insignificant in ancient times. Over time, the Roman Forum developed into the bustling center of Rome, where important political, economic, cultural and religious activities took place. It housed temples, basilicas, arches, columns and other important buildings of antiquity. Although the Roman Forum changed its character and function over time, it remained a central place in urban life until the decline of the Roman Empire. During our visit, we will focus on a few selected historically significant places.

The Arch of Titus is the oldest surviving triumphal arch in Rome and the model for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Emperor Domitian had the Arch of Titus built in honor of his brother and predecessor Titus. A depiction of a seven-branched menorah on a loot relief commemorates Titus' greatest success, the conquest of Jerusalem in 70 AD. For the Jews, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem had far-reaching consequences and the transformation of their religion.

Next we go to Rostra, the speaker's platform from the Republican period. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to see it from a photographic point of view, as there is no path to the front. Caesar and Augustus extensively rebuilt the Rostra. The ship's prows (rostra) were hung on the platform as trophies from the ships captured in the Latin War. With the Roman victory in this war in 338 BC, Rome's power spread further across the Apennine Peninsula and was thus an important foundation stone for the Roman Empire. Many emperors spoke to the people in the forum from the speaker's platform. Cicero may also have given his two speeches against Catiline to the people here, as, unlike the 1st and 4th speeches, he did not speak to the Senate, but to the Roman population in the forum. But that is more of a speculation.

We were lucky with the third destination in the Forum, because the Curia Julia is only open on three days. It was the meeting building of the Roman Senate. Caesar initiated its construction in 44 BC, but it was not completed until the Emperor Augustus in 29 BC. It is one of the best-preserved buildings of late antiquity in Rome, thanks to the fact that the building was converted into a church in the 7th century. Two powerful reliefs, "Plutei of Trajan", are on display in the Curia Julia. They were found in the Forum and depict two episodes from the reign of Emperor Trajan: the destruction of tax documents as a sign of tax relief and the introduction of the distribution of food to needy Roman children.

By the way, the best bird's eye view of the Forum is from the northernmost point on the Palatine Hill, from a terrace behind a beautiful garden.