The Forum Romanum

This summer, I'm headed back to Rome to see more sights and gain inspiration for the next two books in the Antonius Trilogy. This month, I thought I would share some of the wondrous sights in the center of ancient Rome: the Forum Romanum.

First of all, what IS a Forum? Fora were centers of commerce (markets), religion, social spots, where law offices and courts held trials, and the hub of the political scene. They were places to find something to eat or even use the bathroom! Most all Roman cities boasted a Forum. One of the best ones to visit is in Pompeii, where many buildings dating from Vesuvius's eruption are still partially standing. 

The main forum in Rome was the original: the Forum Romanum. As time passed, other fora were built by various Caesars, spreading Roman commerce and trade all over the city. Today, if one visits, it's really difficult to tell what buildings were or how they were used. So many ruins lay jumbled about, that it's highly advisable to use an audio tour or guide, as not every ruin you pass was standing at the same time. 

Since Antonius: Son of Rome takes place in the 1st century BC, this month I'll be focusing on ruins that once stood during that time. Buildings like the Curia, the Rostra, the Tabularium, the Temple of Vesta, and the Temple of Saturn are a few that I'll focus on.

If you visit Rome, be sure to go inside the Capitoline Museum for a visit. Go downstairs, and you'll pass a fascinating exhibit of funerary steles. Just past that, turn right and keep walking. When you reach the terrace lookout, you'll have a stunning view of the entire Forum Romanum. And you'll be standing in a building that has been in Rome since the 70's BC: the Tabularium!

So--hey! Let's all go to the FORUM ROMANUM!

                      Sunrise over the Temple of Venus Genetrix, built by Julius Caesar shortly before his assassination.