See The Famous Forum Of Rome
by: LeonKammer |
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What may be one of the top archaeological locations in the world is located in a valley just between Capitoline Hill and Palatine Hill in Italy, and it is known as the Forum Romanum or the Roman Forum. Even before the first century AD, this valley was a hot bed of political and cultural life for citizens of the Roman Empire.
It is hard to imagine that the original Roman Forum was under construction for 300 years but by the 7th century BC, it was central to everything important that happened in Roman culture. It finally reached a completed state under the reign of Julius Caesar's son Octavian, in the early first Century AD.
The Forum is more than one building but in actuality dozens of temples, arches, businesses and other structures that were so extensive that it was frequently referred to as Forum Magnum or The Great Forum by people who knew it well. The Forum was originally built on marsh land that had been drained for this purpose. It provided a central meeting place for trade, legal discussion and negotiation, as well as debate and dialog about the great social and philosophical issues that the citizens and royalty of Rome had on their minds.
After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the Roman Forum fell into decay and by the Middle Ages the area was little more than pasture land for cattle. It took the arrival of the Renaissance to see interest in the Forum come back to life. The site was discovered and excavated, and a restoration effort started in the 18th century that is still an ongoing work in progress.
Today if you did get to tour the restored parts of the Roman Forum, the greatness of those buildings would be evident in the vast assortment of buildings.
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.
The concept of "thinking big" that was typical of Roman designers of public buildings is certainly on display in the Forum in the "Temple of Venus and Roma." This vast temple which Emperor Hadrian designed and built is perched on a plateau with a perfect view of the Roman Colosseum.
Just as impressive as the Temple of Venus and Roma is the Temple of Concord. The temple that is dedicated to the principles of peace was built in the western quadrant of the Forum around 367 BC. This temple at one time held magnificent statues that were made with silver and gold. While those things are gone, the restored temple is still an inspiring reminder of the amazing abilities of the Roman builders.
There are dozens of other structures to explore in the Forum, including the Temples of Pollux, Saturn, Vepasian and Castor. When combined with the huge diversity of buildings, you can get a real feel for what the Roman architects and emperors wanted from this ambitious project. But the Forum is about so much more than just a collection of temples.
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.
Politicians of modern times still like to make speeches from The Rostra in the Roman Forum. If you take a moment on your visit to stand under the Rostra, you may feel time slip away and for a moment you are standing there in those ancient times. Another site not to miss is a shrine known as the Black Stone or the "Lapis Niger" because it is another example of the creative abilities of Roman architects. The Via Sacra shrine is also another example of their amazing abilities.
If you go to Rome and return having not seen the Roman Forum, your trip was incomplete. This amazing accomplishment is a striking example of the heights that man can reach when working together, and how quickly such genius can be lost if we are not careful.
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