An ancient plaza home to the ruins of important government buildings at the center of the city of Rome, the Roman Forum is one of the most accessible and well preserved ruins of ancient Rome. A stroll through the Roman Forum feels like walking back in time to the glory days of the Roman Empire in the 7th century BC. Though the ruins have degraded considerably since, whatever remains of the glorious Roman Forum gives visitors a spellbinding look at the architecture and design prowess of Rome at the height of all its glory.
History of the Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, initially a marsh that drained the floodwaters of the Tiber and the runoffs from the surrounding hills, grew over time to become the political, economical and social hub of the Roman Empire.
It’s history starts with the foundation of Rome and the post-war alliance between Romulus (who controlled the Palatine Hill) and Titus Tatius, the king of the Sabines who occupied the Capitoline Hill. After the wars were brought to a halt, the low lying land in between the two hills became the place where the people from the two kingdoms met. The walls between the two kingdoms were torn down and the area began functioning as an open-air marketplace. Eventually, the forum outgrew its role as a marketplace and became the center of civil trials, political speeches and other public affairs.
The earliest temples to be built in the Roman Forum were the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Concord in the 5th century BC. In the 80s BC, the plaza was raised by almost a meter and paved by marble stones. The Roman Forum only reached its final form under Augustus Caesar when he constructed the Temple of Divus Iulius and the Arch of Augustus in 29 BC.