what was the forum in ancient Rome

History of the Roman Forum

The Roman Forum is one of the most extended and wonderful archaeological areas of Rome, which is caged between some of the main attractions of the city, such as the Palatine Hill, the Colosseum, The Campidoglio and the Via dei Fori Imperiali. The Roman Forum is one of the must-see places and attractions of the entire city, and you simply cannot miss, it because it encapsulates almost centuries and centuries of history, all in itself.

In fact, the Roman Forum is made by different stratifications of buildings and monuments from many different historical areas, all together in one place. They represent the pulsing heart of the city since they have represented, in the past, the central point of the Roman Empire, where the main political, juridic, economic and religious power was centred.

Archaeologists have found evidence of the Roman Forum up until its beginning, in the Pre-Roman Period, when the area was used as a cemetery site, because of its natural setting. However, in the 8^th century B.C., we see the first shift, with the creation of some public sites, such as the Comitium and the Vulcanal, dedicated to religious ceremonies and offerings.

According to tradition, the area was first settled after a pact between Romulus and his rival Titus Tatius, head of the Sabines, using this land, which was located between the two kingdoms, as a way to build their population’s connection.

In the beginning, the Roman Forum was mainly used as a big and spacious open market, where different parts of the population would meet to trade and exchange goods. But, as the centuries passed, the place quickly became larger and larger, accommodating more and more celebrations in its borders, of any kind: from processes to spiritual holidays, up to political representations and assemblies.

The Forum quickly became the heart of the Entire Empire, where all the important decisions would happen, affecting the entire population. In fact, during the Republican period, we can see how the number of official buildings increased quickly: the Senate, in order to accommodate more and more space for the Forum, by purchasing private lands all nearby the Forum.

Some of the most important buildings came to rise in that period, such as the Temple of Saturn, The Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Concord. In the meanwhile, the great tradition of Rostra, where speakers would be welcomed to pronounce their political speeches, became more and more common in the Forum, creating a new-found tradition – ‘the locus popularis’.

During the last period of Roman dominance, the Ancient Empire, the Forum became even larger, housing more and more buildings, like the Temple of Caesar, the Arch of August and Septimius Severus. Countless traditions and new establishments of the Republic came to be created and shaped in this space, creating every single detail that it brought the Ancient Roman Empire to its greatness, marking history, as we still know it now.