Roman Forum – The Complex where Ancient Religious Beliefs Stands with Historic Events
Roman Temples | May 13, 2010Regarded as one of the most vital historic and religious destinations on the planet, the Roman Forum in Rome is the home of many edifices belonging to the period of the 5th century B.C. to 7th century A.D.
Originally used as a market in the 6th century B.C., the forum gradually became significant at the time of the Republican period when temples and more public monuments were erected here. In the later period, many of these were transformed into holy churches. That which goes up has to come down – anything that receives prosperity has to ultimately bear the adversity. The same fact holds true even for this complex when in the Middle Ages it was ruined, monument stones were taken away for other works, and that the area lastly became a cow meadow.
My Visit
I was with a tour guide who took us to visit some of the most remarkable monuments of the Roman Forum. The admission fee was €9.
First, I saw the Arch of Septimus Severus of 203 A.D. located at the west tip at the base of the Capitoline Hill, which marks the emperor’s conquests over what is today called Iran and Iraq. It is adorned with the reliefs of fighting episodes. Next, we went to see the Arch of Titus (Arco di Tito) made in 81 AD that is located in a bit raised manner on the Palatine Hill, which is at the roman Forum’s entrance. It was built to mark the sack of Jerusalem in 70 AD and is adorned with reliefs of the Roman soldiers taking away the riches of the Jewish temple.
The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (310 AD) is a huge brick edifice that once held the famous giant statue of Constantine and acted as the public court during the reigns of the Emperor Maxentius and his successor Constantine. The Column of Phocas (608 AD) was dedicated to an atrocious Byzantine ruler who killed Emperor Maurice and his five sons. After two years of this edifice, Phocas was overthrown and persecuted to death. The Proconnesian marble was used to make the Corinthian column.
Then, we explored the Decennalia Base (303 AD) that was rebuilt version next to its original site in the Rostra of the Roman Forum. It was among the five honorary columns to mark the first visit of Diocletian to Rome due to his reign’s 20th anniversary. Made from monolith pink Aswan marble, all its sides are adorned with ideal reliefs in marble.
At the facing side, two grouped victories with a medallion saying “Happy Tenth Anniversary of the Caesars” is seen, whereas the left one shows a procession of Roman senators. The right one has a scene of a bull, sheep, and pig being sacrifice, while the rear one displays the emperor sacrificing after being crowned by a winged Victory.
Now, it was the turn of the House of the Vestal Virgins near the Temple of Vesta wherein the young priestesses were to look after the sacred flame. Some of the women statues are still seen today in its rectangular structure. The virgins were to serve the temple for 30 years wherein 10 years were for learning, 10 to do the duties, and 10 to teach the new ones. On failure, they were punished severely, for example, if the flame blew off, she was beaten up, or if virginity was gone, she was buried alive.
The Temple of Vesta, a small round shrine, was famous for its holy flame that represented the continuity of the Roman state taken care by the Vestal Virgins.
The Temple of the Dioscuri (5th BC), the Temple of Castor and Pollux, was dedicated to the mortal Castor and immortal Pollux. The Greek and Roman mythology says that Leda, the wife of Zeus (Jupiter), gave birth two twin sons – Castor and Pollux. Even today, its three columns are seen.
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Augustus Caesar is said to have stated “I found Rome a city of brick, and left it a city of marble”.
What is true is that Octavian continued the building projects of his predecessor and began many of his own directly in the forum.
After the death of Caesar and the Battle of Actium, the victor erected the Temple to the Deified Caesar an act of raising the status of his uncle to, not just a political position, but making him a god in the eyes of the Empire.