Discover the Roman Forum: 14 Fun and Fascinating Facts You Never Knew!

1. Caesar's Court Cuddling

Julius Caesar must have really loved having the courts on his side, because he built an entire basilica just so he could keep them close! You could say he truly mastered the art of "building bridges" with the judiciary: The Basilica Julia, constructed by Julius Caesar and completed by Augustus, was an essential public space in the Roman Forum, housing civil law courts, meetings, and shops. Despite facing destruction and transformation throughout its history, including a raid by Visigoths in 410 AD and conversion into a church during the medieval era, the remains of this ancient power move still stand for all to see.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Roman Facebook Group

Step right up and join the ancient Roman Facebook group – togas optional, debates obligatory: The Roman Forum was the social networking site of its time, where citizens gathered not just for shopping but also for mingling, attending events, and engaging in spirited political discussions that set the foundation for public squares in other parts of the empire.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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=> Fun Facts about Pompeii

3. Game of Thrones: Roman Edition

Who knew the Roman Forum had more in common with an episode of "Game of Thrones" than your average senate meeting: Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC was a full-blown political drama, but unlike the iconic series, the culprits didn't bother to keep their identities hush-hush, and Caesar's heir, Octavian, eventually settled the score on the battlefield.
Source => history.com

4. Caesar's Yacht Club for Gods

Who needs a yacht club when you're a Roman god?: Julius Caesar was posthumously deified and honored with the Temple of Divus Iulius in the Roman Forum, featuring a speaker's platform called the Rostra Julia, adorned with ship prows, a perfect spot for orators to sail through political speeches in ancient Rome.
Source => curate.nd.edu

5. Temple of Saturn: Ancient Piggy Bank

Like an ancient Roman Piggy bank overflowing with gold and oddly good record keeping: the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum functioned not only as a religious site, but also as a vault for the Roman Republic's gold and silver reserves, a storage for state archives, and a home to the official metal-weighing scale. Its inscription proudly proclaims its restoration after a fire in 360 AD – and no, it wasn't three makeovers as the gossip mill might have you believe!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Rostra: Oratory Tackle from the Deep

Ahoy, ancient Roman landlubbers! Ready to tickle your ears with a tale of spoils turned into oratory tackles? It's time to set sail for the Roman Forum, where words could make or break an empire: The Rostra, an impressive platform for public speeches, was adorned with bronze beaks snatched directly from enemy ships after the victory at Antium in 338 BC. Thanks to Caesar's blueprints and Augustus's final touch, it was also the dramatic stage for Antony's eulogy of Caesar, and the very same spot where Cicero and other political frenemies found themselves being verbally "keelhauled" by the Triumvirs.
Source => penelope.uchicago.edu

7. Roman Forum: Rodeo Drive Meets Vegas Strip

Hold onto your togas and toss those dice, because the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's own Rodeo Drive-meets-Vegas Strip: Via Sacra, the main street, was a bustling hub of commerce, politics, and religion, lined with colonnades housing shops, attracting people for chit-chat, dice-throwing, and daily business––but don't go looking for hanky-panky amid the hustle and bustle, as history is mum on red lantern action on this ancient boulevard.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Graveyard Turned City Hotspot

You know how we often transform our lifeless backyard into a buzzing party hub? Turns out, even ancient Rome had a knack for such makeovers! They took recycling to a whole new level by sprucing up a spooky necropolis and turning it into the bustling heart of their city: Behold the Roman Forum! Initially a cemetery-filled valley in the Iron Age, it got a massive landfill upgrade to curb flooding, before finally becoming the epicenter of politics and spirituality. Et voila, a graveyard turned city hotspot – now that's some ghostly urban planning!
Source => khanacademy.org

9. Basilica Aemilia: Ancient Roman Amazon

In ancient Rome, the Basilica Aemilia served as the original one-stop shop for everything – kind of like their version of Amazon, but with more togas: This architectural marvel, constructed in 179 B.C.E. and renovated several times, was a bustling hub for commerce, legal affairs, and entertainment, all under one roof, named after the Aemilian family who dominated Roman politics during the Republic.
Source => khanacademy.org

10. Roman Forum: Gladiator's Multitasking Paradise

Before the ancient Romans decided to level up their entertainment game with the construction of the Colosseum, they had to make do with gladiators duking it out in a more primitive setting: The Roman Forum, where criminal trials were held, religious ceremonies performed, public meetings conducted, and education events organized, making it the multitasker's paradise and the beating heart of ancient Rome.
Source => history.com

11. Roman Forum: One-Stop-Shop

Step right up to the all-in-one shopping mall of ancient Rome, where you could grab a tunic, make an offering, and debate politics all before lunchtime: the Roman Forum saw it as the ultimate hub of political, religious, and commercial life, featuring temples such as the Temple of Vesta for the goddess of the hearth, and the Temple of Saturn, where the Roman treasury lay, as well as a bustling market scene where vendors hawked their wares.
Source => www2.classics.upenn.edu

12. The OG Vegas Strip of Ancient Rome

Before Caesar's Palace had slot machines and fake volcanoes, there was the original Vegas Strip right in the heart of Rome: The Roman Forum was not only a political and civic center but a bustling hotspot for gladiator fights, chariot races, and various theatrical performances that kept the toga-wearing masses entertained.
Source => khanacademy.org

13. Roman Forum's Marshland Glow-Up

Talk about a glow-up: the Roman Forum went from soggy marshland to the crème de la crème of ancient Roman social hotspots! Located in the heart of the city, it was the prime spot for everything from government meetings and gladiator showdowns, to divine worship and heated political debates.
Source => getyourguide.com

14. The Temple of Castor and Pollux: Bromance Headquarters

The Temple of Castor and Pollux: part-religious hotspot, part-office space, part-banking HQ, but always ready to host a cavalry party worthy of any modern bromance! The Roman Forum temple dedicated to Jupiter's OG wingmen also functioned as the office of weights and measures, a bank, and celebrated an annual cavalry parade with 5,000 men on the 15th of July.
Source => worldhistory.org