An Ancient Trophy Case

I work in a public school and every morning, when I go to the office, I see the trophy case out in the front hallway. Inside are all sorts of things: trophies, stuffed dragons (our mascot is a dragon), ribbons, and photographs. Our trophy case is a showcase of school pride and achievement,  looked upon with satisfaction and accomplishment. So it was in the ancient world, as well. However, trophy cases weren't quite the same back then.

Rome's ancient Rostra was an ancient trophy case. There was a Rostra in the Forum Romanum as early as the 6th century B.C. However, the name rostra was derived from the word rostrum, meaning the deadly ram from a warship. During the 4th century B.C., the Romans celebrated a naval victory and the "Rostra" became a place to display the captured rams from enemy ships.  

Sometimes this ancient trophy case was used in a grisly fashion, too. During the two proscription periods in the Late Republic, lists of condemned men were posted upon it and made public for everyone to see. Often, these hunted enemies of the state would have their heads or even their hands mounted or nailed to the Rostra. Readers will learn about one of these incidents in my next book, Antonius: Second in Command, which will hopefully be launched this fall. But throughout Roman history, the Rostra was most famous as the place where public speakers addressed the populace. My main character, Marcus Antonius, mounted and spoke to the plebians many times during his career as a statesman. His most memorable speech upon the Rostra was at Julius Caesar's funeral, and that electric moment in Roman history was even memorialized by William Shakespeare.

During Julius Caesar's dictatorship, he rearranged some monuments in the Forum Romanum, in preparation for building projects. The Rostra that remains today at the western end of the Forum Romanum underwent multiple restorations throughout the Roman Imperial period. Though tourists aren't allowed to ascend the Rostra like my book characters once did, it's still possible to get fairly close to it. Today, what appears to be a humble stone wall saw some of the most dramatic episodes in western history.

                                                                                Brook Allen in front of the Rostra.