Next comes tlie Forum Romanum proper — an open space. At the end nearest to the site of the later Arch of Severus stood the Rostra of the Re- public. This was a raised platform decorated with the prows of ships captured in the First Cartha- ginian War in 260 B.C., under Duillius : hence the name. From this platform many a historic speech, many a funeral oration, including that of Mark Antony on Julius Ca;sar, was delivered. Another interesting feature of the F'orum, of which only the basis now survives, was a bronze equestrian statue of the Emperor Domitian, raised towards the end of the 1st cent. A.D. and described in detail by Statius in the first of his miscellaneous poems called Siluw.
Leaving the Forum proper, we cross the Sacra Via (the poet Horace [Sat. I. ix. 1] by the require- ments of his metre said uia sacra, but to the ordinary Roman it would have been as absurd to say Via Sacra as to say ' Street Oxford ' or ' Street Princes' to-day). This Sacred Way was one of the oldest streets in Rome. Its exact course through the Forum is uncertain, but it would appear that it passed between the Forum proper and the Basilica lulia, that it then went N.E. and ran along the east side of the Forum, turning south- wards eventually and passing imder what is now the Arch of Titus. It was the thoroughfare through the Forum, and was connected with almost every movement of importance, sacred and secular, throughout the whole of Roman history.
Crossing it, we come to what was by far the largest edifice in the Forum, the Basilica Julia.
420
KO.ME
ROME
Nothing but the pavement and tlie basis of some of the colunms now remains. It was begun in tlie year 54 B.C. and was dedicated, thougii not yet fini.slied, bj' the dictator Julius Caesar on tlie day of tlie celelnation of the victory over his Pompeian enemies at Thapsus in 46 B.C. Augustus com- pleted it. On its destruction by lire, he built a much larger building, which retained the original name. It consisted of three parts — a vestibule on the Sacra Via side, the main hall with the galleries surrouiuliiig it, and the separated rooms situated behind it. The main hall, used as a law-court, etc., was 328 ft. long and 118 ft. wide (central nave 271 ft. by 59 ft.). Tliirty-si.\ pillars of brick covered with marble surrounded the central nave, and into this nave the galleries in the ui)per story opened. The roof above the central nave was con- structed with a clerestory. Much timber was used in making the roof. Four tribunals could try cases at once in this large hall, so that there must have been partitions between them. It is on re- cord tiiat an orator with a specially powerful voice who was pleading before one tribunal received applause from the crowds attending in all four courts. Such buildings have a special interest for us, as it was on them that one at least of the earliest types of Christian church was modelled, and from them that it received the name Basilica, which is still current.
Crossing the Vicus Tuscus or Etrurian Street, which went at right angles to the Sacra Via, we come to the great Temple of Castor or the Castors. The three columns which still stand are at once one of the most conspicuous and one of the most beautiful monuments remaining in the Forum. The temple itself was one of the most ancient of Roman foundations, going back to about 500 B.C. The legend of the help given by the twin-brother gods to the Romans when in straits at the battle of Regillus is familiar to all. The temple was the repayment of a vow. Frequently reconstructed as it was, the remains we now know date from the beginning of tlie 2nd cent. A.D. under Trajan and Hadrian. It is quite a steep climb to get to the floor of the temple. This is of black and white mosaic laid in Tiberius' time, and covered a century later with slabs of variegated marble. The testing of weights and measures was carried on in this temple.
We come next to the Lacus luturnos. At the foot of the Palatine the goddess who presided over the springs which bubble forth there was worshipped as Juturna, she who ajjpears in Virgil's ^Eneid as the sister of Turnus, the king of the Rutulians. The pool is about 6J ft. deep and about 16 ft. 9 ins. square. It is fed by two springs. Various ornaments and other interesting objects have been dug out there.
In this neighbourhood are three {or rather two) connected buildings, all belonging to the same cult, that of Vesta. They are respectively the circular Mdes Vestce and the Atrium Vestce, with the Domus V'irc/inuni Vestalium. The worship of Vesta was the worship of fire and the hearth. Fire is to tlie bouse a continual necessity, whether for the cooking of food or for the external warmth of the body, and it has for the city's house the same importance as for the private house. Just as there were a fire and a hearth in every private house, so there were a fire and a hearth in the central part of every Latin town, belonging to the people itself. In the primitive community it was important that there should be a central fire be- longing equally to all the citizens, where fire could be obtained for their houses, if their own fire had