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Everywhere you look in the Roman Forums there is something noteworthy. While
names of the monuments may be unfamiliar to you as we begin our tour, you will
likely have identified several as your favorites before you reach the end of
the page.
The photographs above and below will help show you how rich the Roman Forum is with ruins
and how complicated it to determine what you are seeing.
The view
above is
from the Capitoline Hill
 ,
which is to the north of the Roman Forums. (Note: Some
of the most interesting views for the Forum can be seen from
Capitoline Hill, so
schedule time for some photography when you
visit there.) On the left
is the triumphant Arch of Septimus Severus (early 3rd century AD
), with the
ruins of the Basilica Julia (center) built for Julius Caesar (50 BC
) and the
columns of the Temple
of Saturn (right), the oldest known temple in the Forums
. The original temple
was constructed around 500 BC and rebuilt around 50AD, only to burn and be
reconstructed in the 3rd century AD on the foundations of the earlier
building.
In the photograph above, the arches at the top left are the Temple of
Atoninus Pius and his wife Faustina (with the church of San Lorenzo built on
the ruins -
), the round building,
in the center, is the Temple of Romulus and the large arch at
the top-right marks the Basilica of Maxentius (emperor in the early 4th century
AD) and Constantine
, while the Atrium of the Vesta is in the foreground
. Antoninus was
the adopted son and successor to Hadrian, and was followed the throne by
Hadrian's and his own adopted son Marcus Aurelius.
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The arches in the Roman Forums, seem to dominate the area because of their size and because
they have stood the test of time much better than other monuments. Most of
the arches have complex decorations and you should be sure to examine their
details.
Located between the Colosseum and the Roman Forums, Constantine's Arch
(early 4th century AD
) is
the largest and best preserved of the ancient Roman arches. Its
friezes, which are decorated in high relief,
provide a sense of history and symbolize the grandeur of the Roman
Empire.
The Arch of Constantine, is one the three "Roman" arches in Rome that
have survived to modern times. The arch, which is remarkably well-preserved, was
erected to commemorate
Constantine's defeat of Maxentius, in a battle that restored peace to the
Roman Empire. The arch was constructed using materials from
other arches and temples. Constantine,
later moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople
(formerly named Byzantium) now known as
Istanbul, Turkey)
and drained resources from Rome in the process.
The Arch of Titus (right) is situated at
the highest part of the Via
Sacra (the major street in ancient Rome) and was built to commemorate the Roman re-capture of
Jerusalem in 70 AD
. The arch was built by Domitian to honor his
brother
Titus. The inside of the arch (the soffit) is highly detailed and worth a
close look. Many of the reliefs on the arch are restorations undertaken in the 19th century,
as the monument had been incorporated in another building, which was later
demolished.
The Arch of Septimus Severus (below, left) at the northern end of the Roman
Forums
, dates from the third century and has a central arch with a
lateral arch on each side. The top of the structure was once adorned by statuary of Septimus
Severus and
 his
sons, Caracalla and Geta. Severus and his sons won important battles
against the Parthia (a historic kingdom in the Middle East centered near
present day Iraq) and the arch was a celebration of their victory.
The ancient Romans worshipped various gods and goddesses and built
imposing temples to honor those they particularly feared. Examples of the
most important of these include the temples of Saturn, Castor and Pollux,
and another commemorating the goddesses Venus and Roma. Some temples were
named for emperors who were later deified; the most important of these are the
ruins of the Temples of Caesar and
Vespasian.
Vesta the virgin goddess of home and health, is linked with the famous
Vestal Virgins who guarded her flame. The Romans believed that
the flame was directly linked with
the well-being of Rome
and
that the Empire would decline if the flame were ever extinguished. The
Vestal Virgins were quite warlike in their dedication to the protection of
the flame.
The Temple of Castor and Pollux (the twin brothers from Greek mythology
who were the sons of Zeus and Leda) was
rebuilt several times but did not survive the ravages of time and the
practice of using parts of one temple in the construction of something new
.
The Temple of the deities Venus and Roma
was designed by the Emperor Hadrian and built on the Palatine in the 2nd
century AD. although damage required rebuilding in later periods
.
If you have the opportunity, take a look at the Forums at night when the area is
illuminated, but do so only if you are with a group or part of a tour. Others prefer to
capture the forums at sunrise and note that the morning glow adds to the
beauty of the Forums. In either case,
head to the Piazza Venezia, and take the Cordonatta (steps), on the right
side of the Monument Vittorio Emanuele II, up to the top where you can catch
dramatic views of the Forum area. By the way,
Domus Aurea, the golden house of Nero, at the base of the Equiline Hill was
closed to the public in 2006 due to flooding and concerns about its
stability. It has not yet reopened, although rumors keep circulating
that it will be available soon.
The Palatine Hills is packed with ruins and excavations,
but is less interesting than the Forums. However, the
Palatine is a terrific place for getting away from the crowds and imagining
what life must have been like in ancient Rome. The Palatine Antiquarian
Museum (Museo Palatino) displays Roman sculptures excavated from the various
houses on the hill and is worth a short visit.
In March of 2008, after over 30 years of restoration, four rooms from the
house of Augustus Caesar, known also as Octavian, were opened to the public,
possibly for the first time in over 2,000 years. These rooms had been lost
to history for approximately two millennia
(since around 30BC) when rediscovered around 1970. The frescos in the
complex are reputed to be some of the finest ever found and to rival those
discovered in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Augustus's fame, in part, was tied to
the capture of Egypt when his forces defeated the armies of Mark Antony and
Cleopatra.
Visits are limited to 5 at a time due to the size of the complex and the
fragile condition of the property. The ticket required for the guided tour
of the house, also covers the Forums, the Palatine and the Colosseum. This
is one of the most popular attractions on the Palatine and the
wait can be long, so queue up early.
To the west, the Palatine Hill overlooks the somewhat desolate
Circus Maximus
, of
which little remains of the original structure. The circus was a track for horse/chariot
racing and its tight oval shape is still relatively well-defined between the
Palatine and Aventine Hills. If you want a general overview of
the Circus Maximus, the Palatine is the best place for a peek as it is not
worth the time to actually wander the Circus, which is now a public park.
Next - Return
to our section on Ancient Rome
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