OUR VISIT BEGINS

As we left the Campidoglio, I couldn't help but notice that amazing statue above the white marble building.  As I studied my map, I determined that the white building in the picture is the Vittorio Emanuele Monument which is located next to the Piazza Campidoglio.  This building served as a useful landmark throughout the day thanks to the distinctive Winged Statue of Victory high above that could be seen from practically every point in Rome. 

The first building we passed was the Church San Giuseppe dei Falegnami.   Down below the church is a famous prison known as  Mamertino. Also known as Tulliano, this was the oldest prison in Rome. First constructed in the 7th century BC, this was a prison for condemned enemies of the State. According to legend, St Peter was imprisoned here before he was martyred at the Circus of Nero and Caligula at the site of the Piazza San Pietro. Other well known prisoners were Vercingetorix the Gaul and Simon bar Jiora, the Jew who defended Jerusalem against Titus.  Thanks to the tradition of St Peter's imprisonment, his cell has been turned into a chapel dedicated to St Peter.  Legend says that shortly before his death, St Peter brought forth a spring in the cell, and used the water to baptize two of the guards, Processus and Martinianus. 

As we walked past this church, I had no idea of its significance.  Oblivious, I walked past it without giving it even the slightest glance. 

Next Marla and I encountered a set of ruins behind the Vittorio Emanuele building.  As we passed this patch of ruins, I had absolutely no idea this pile of rubble was all that was left from the Forum of Caesar.  There were occasionally signs to be seen, but not for this area.  Otherwise I would have paid more attention.  Instead I simply took a picture and kept walking down the sidewalk looking for the entrance to the Forum.

When we got to the entrance, we made a very dumb decision. After Marla and I paid to enter the Forum area, we noticed there was an audiotape we could rent to guide us around the Forum and give us much-needed information.  This should have been a no-brainer, but the catch was that we would have to return the tape when we were done.

At the time, Marla and I actually believed we would still have enough time and energy to WALK BACK TO ST. PETER'S TRAIN STATION.  Since we would have to go out of our way to return the tapes, we chose not to have the obligation.  Ironically, later in the day we ran out of time and opted to take the subway back to the train station.  This meant we walked right past the ticket office on our way out.  I was furious with myself. 

As we entered the Forum, we soon discovered there was either no description at all or only the barest written description of the areas we viewed.  As we wandered around the Forum, time and again we would stare at broken unidentified rocks that had absolutely no meaning for us.  Thousands of years of history... bloodshed, ambition, power, pain, sacrifice and heartache... were contained in those rocks, but we had no clue as to the stories behind them.  Julius Caesar could have been murdered right where we stood and we would have never known.  Were we stupid or what?

A look at the Winged Statue of Victory

The Vittorio Emanuele Monument with the Winged Statue of Victory.
As you can see, there isn't much to look at in the Forum of Caesar

The Palatine Hill and the Capitoline Hill overlook the Forum

Palatine Hill served as home to Augustus and many other Emperors.

The picture above provides a marvelous panoramic view of the Roman Forum taken from Wikipedia.  Although I had assumed the Forum extended north and south, I later learned differently.  The Roman Forum stretches on a diagonal from the Campidoglio and the Arch of Severus at the northwest end to the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus at the southeast end. 

Notice the unusual curve to the picture.  I can assure you the Forum was built on a straight line.  For example, when I saw that green field in the picture, it was straight, not bent.  Maybe they curved the picture to get more structures into one shot or make them easier to see. The byline under this  picture says several different photographs were "stitched" to create this one big picture.  Isn't modern photography amazing?

Now I have a question.  Do you have any idea what are the stories behind all those buildings and all those broken rocks?   Me neither.  The difference is I visited the place, so you would assume I would know at least something.  Guess again.  The structures in this picture were a total mystery to me during my visit.  I cannot begin to say how embarrassed I felt at my total ignorance.   I wish again we had rented those guided tour audiotapes.  Truth be told, I barely learned a thing while I was there.

However, through the miracle of the Internet and some guide books I purchased, at least I was able to do a creditable job of research after the fact.  The area occupied by the Roman Forum was once a marsh in the valley between the Palatine and Capitoline hills.  The marsh was fed by a stream running through headed to the Tiber.  After redirecting the stream into a canal followed by a massive landfill operation, the area quickly became prime real estate.  This occurred in the seventh century BC when the Etruscan kings still ruled the city.

The Palatine Hill had always been the prime residential part of Rome.  Not only did it overlook the beautiful Tiber River on one side, on the other side it hovered over the marsh valley. The leaders of ancient Rome all lived up there.  Once the marsh was filled in, it was convenient for them to make sure this undeveloped area become the focal point of Rome.  They could walk to work!

For a thousand years, the Forum was the center of civic life, commerce, and politics.  Then during the Middle Ages, the area was completely forgotten.   The most disastrous period occurred during the Renaissance. 

Pope Julius II (1503-1513) planned to rebuild Rome.  The Forum seemed to him a convenient source of material so he ordered the Forum pillaged for building supplies.  Despite the protests of Michelangelo and Raphael, the destruction of ancient monuments went on rapidly.  Ancient marbles were ground up for the lime kiln.  Huge buildings that were almost perfectly preserved were suddenly demolished in less than a month's time. The area was then abandoned and reduced to a meadow that was used as a cow pasture.  The message was clear.  The Glory Days were long gone.

About a hundred years ago, the city came to its senses and began to actively preserve what little was left of the Forum.  Better late than never.  Let us now begin a pictorial highlight tour of the important structures that still remain today.

The eight columns are all that is left of the Temple of Saturn, circa 500 BC.
Notice the Arch of Severus in the same picture.  This is the north end of the Forum
facing south.  You can see the Colosseum way off at the south end.
 

Here is a different angle at the Temple of Saturn. Gradual collapse has left nothing but
the remains of the front portico standing.  The 8 surviving columns and partially intact
pediment represent one of the iconic images of Rome's ancient architectural heritage.
 

As I stared at the broken rocks and incomplete structures, I had a hard time imagining what these places really looked like. 

Imagine my delight when I discovered that many of the important Roman Forum buildings have been digitally  reconstructed. 

What a miracle!

This picture gives you an idea of the magnificence of the Temple of Saturn.

Yes, there are the eight columns in front. Count them!

The Arch of Septimus Severus (14)

The white marble Arch of Septimius Severus is a triumphal arch dedicated in AD 203
to commemorate the Parthian victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons,
 Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of 194/195 & 197-199.
Parthia, by the way, is now northern Iran.

The Arch of Severus is located at the far northern end of the Forum.  The Arch of Titus
is at the far southern end of the Forum.  What is remarkable is that both structures are
practically intact.  Together the two structures serve as bookends to the Forum.
They act as handy reference points for every picture taken of the Forum.
 

In AD 66 Jewish zealots started a revolt against the Roman occupation of Judea.
Vespasian was sent from Rome to crush the revolt. After Vespasian became emperor,
his son Titus took over. Titus captured Jerusalem in AD 70 with four legions
and the revolt was completely crushed after the fall of the Masada fortress in AD 72.

In AD 79 Titus became emperor of the Roman empire. He died just two years later, in September AD 81. The popular emperor was soon deified by the Roman Senate. Emperor Domitian, Titus's brother and successor, built the Arch of Titus that same year both to honor his brother and to commemorate the victory in the Jewish War.
 

Archeology

As Marla and I strode through the Forum, we noticed several places where archeology students were busy excavating and documenting their work. The Roman Forum has been called the greatest and most confusing boneyard in history.  It seems such a shame that the structures in the Forum were not only neglected, but actively destroyed. For example, today nothing remains of the Temple of Jupiter, once considered the greatest Temple of them all.  Thank goodness there are people dedicated to making sense of this huge puzzle.

As I said, you can orient yourself in any Forum picture using one of the two Arches.  Here you can see the Arch of Severus (as well as the Winged Goddess of Victory). Can you spot the Temple of Saturn?  Look for the distinctive 8 columns.  Do you see any signs that might explain the significance of each building?  Marla and I walked through the place all day long without a clue of what we were looking at.  Let me tell you - I wasn't happy about this fact at all.

The Temple of Vesta (09) and the House of the Vestals

The Temple of Vesta.  Not much left of this circular structure.  The Vestals were the virgin holy female priests of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. Their primary task was to maintain the sacred fire of Vesta. The Vestal duty brought great honor and afforded greater privileges to women who served in that role. They were the only female priests within the Roman religious system. The Vestal Virgins became a powerful and influential force in the Roman state. When the dictator Sulla included the young Julius Caesar on his death list of political opponents the Vestals interceded on Caesar's behalf and gained him pardon. Augustus included the Vestals in all major dedications and ceremonies.

The Vestal Virgins were committed to the priesthood at a young age (before puberty) and were sworn to celibacy for a period of 30 years.

Here is the Temple of Vesta digitally reconstructed.   These 30 years were, in turn, divided into three periods of a decade each: ten as students, ten in service, and ten as teachers. Afterwards, they could marry if they chose to do so.

However, few took the opportunity to leave their respected role in very luxurious surroundings. This would have required them to submit to the authority of a man, with all the restrictions placed on women by Roman law. On the other hand, a marriage to a former Vestal Virgin was highly honored.  

Woe to the priestess who broke her vows.  She was condemned to the cruel punishment of being buried alive since the blood of a Vestal could never be shed.

The Atrium Vestae was a three-story 50-room palace built around an elegant
elongated atrium or court with a double pool.

Those rooms were also part of the House of the Vestals.  Apparently much of the place was destroyed in the huge fire during Nero's reign.

Here is a computer recreation of the Forum facing north.  This means the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus are behind us.  Do you see the Arch of Severus in the back on the right?  On the left just next to it is the recreated Temple of Jupiter.  Note the long courtyard in front of the Arch of Severus is the same in both pictures. 

If you compare this picture to the one on the right, it becomes painfully obvious just how much of the Forum was destroyed.

Do you see that large circular metallic disk in front of the courtyard?  That plus the huge rocks behind it is what remains of the Temple of Caesar. The tall brown building next to the Arch with the three windows is the Curia.  The Curia is where the Senate met in the Roman Forum.  In the 7th century, it was turned into a church which explains why this structure survived intact.

That long walkway heading the Arch of Severus is part of the legendary Via Sacra, the road used for all the Roman Triumph marches.

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is one of the best preserved structures.
The temple was begun in 141 by the Emperor Antoninus Pius. It was initially dedicated to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina the Elder. When Antoninus Pius was deified after his death in 161, at the instigation of his successor, Marcus Aurelius, the temple was re-dedicated jointly to Antoninus and Faustina.

The structure behind the columns is the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda

The Temple of Vespasian and Titus at the northwestern end of the Roman Forum is located between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Saturn. It is dedicated to the deified Vespasian (builder of the Colosseum) and his son, the deified Titus.  The Temple suffered great damage during the Medieval times. Today only these 3 columns remain.

Both emperors are considered among the very best.  Unfortunately Titus was succeeded by his brother Domitian who is considered among the worst.

Those three columns are all that is left of the Temple of Castor and Pollux.
In this picture, you are facing south.  That is the Arch of Titus directly behind the Temple of Castor and Pollux.  Further in back to the left is the Colosseum. That row of rocks at the front are the remains of the Basilica Julia (11)
 

This picture shows the structures directly in front of the Arch of Titus. That pretty white church plus the impressive bell tower behind it is known as Santa Francesca Romana.  It is part of the Temple of Venus and Rome.  In case you are curious, I don't know what all those rocks in the middle of the field were a part of, but an educated guess says this was part of the House of the Vestals.

The columns on the left are from the Temple of Vesta.  The three columns on the right are from the Temple of Castor and Pollux, also sometimes known as the Dioscuri, which is Latin for Twins.  By the way, the astrological sign Gemini is named for Castor and Pollux.  The Romans believed the twins aided them on the battlefield, which explains why they built a temple in their honor.

Here we have the same picture. Isn't it amazing to compare the modern day ruins with the digital reconstructions?   Once you fill in the blank spots, all those free standing columns and rocks begin to make more sense.  Thanks to this great computer technology, we can see the exact relationship of the Temple of Vesta and the Temple of Castor and Pollux.

One of the most impressive structures in the Roman Forum was the
Temple of Venus and Rome.  Constructed was begun by Hadrian in 121 AD. 
Following his death, Hadrian's successor Antoninus finished the project 141 AD.  The picture on the right is a digital reconstruction.  By the way, the structure includes the more modern church of Santa Francesca Romana. 

This Temple is located at southeastern end of the Forum.  It stands right beside the Arch of Titus with the Colosseum just a stone's throw away.

There is a fascinating anecdote associated with this structure. Trajan is widely considered one of best Roman Emperors.  Trajan was a prolific builder in Rome and the provinces.  Many of his buildings were erected by the gifted architect Apollodorus of Damascus.

Trajan was succeeded by Hadrian who attempted to create masterful buildings as well.  However, when Hadrian asked the famous Apollodorus what he thought of this temple,  Apollodorus was unimpressed by his new emperor's architectural skills.  Apollodorus made a scornful remark on the cramped spaces of the seated statues, saying the Gods would surely hurt their heads if they tried to stand up from their thrones.  Apollodorus was executed not long after this for his outspokenness.  If you want to live, don't criticize Emperors!

Above you can see what is left of the Forum of Trajan and the recreation of the Forum of Trajan.  Trajan was one of the best Emperors.

After the terrible reign of Domitian and the ineffective Nerva, Trajan was warmly welcomed as the new Emperor in 98 AD.  Born in Spain, Trajan worked his way up in the ranks of the military. He was chosen as Emperor for his competence, not his birthright.  Trajan justified their confidence by governing well and without the bloodiness that had marked Domitian's reign.

He freed many people who had been unjustly imprisoned by Domitian and returned a great deal of private property that Domitian had confiscated; a process begun by Nerva before his death. His popularity was such that the Roman Senate eventually bestowed upon Trajan the honorific of "Optimus", meaning "the best".

Trajan was not only a good politician, he was a terrific warrior.  His best known accomplishment was the conquest of Dacia, modern Romania.  Dacia had long been a very formidable opponent of Rome.  Trajan's Dacian campaigns benefited the Empire's finances through the acquisition of Dacia's gold mines. The victory was celebrated by building Trajan's Column.

The Temple of Caesar is located in the very center of the Roman Forum.  Those columns you see in the front of the picture are the remains of the Temple of Vesta. 

This area is where the funeral of Caesar was held including the famous speech by Mark Antony ("I come to bury Caesar") that inflamed the mob against the people who had assassinated him.

For the funeral, a life-size image of Caesar had been made of wax.  In a very macabre touch, all 23 of the knife wounds were shown.  As Antony spoke, a mechanical device turned the wax sculpture round and round so that people were able to clearly see the 23 wounds in all parts of the body and on the face.  No wonder the mob was angry!

Marla and I walked right past these rocks several times without any idea whatsoever of their significance.  I could just kick myself!

The Via Sacra (Sacred Road) is the main street of ancient Rome, leading from the top of the Capitoline Hill, through some of the most important religious sites of the Forum (where it is the widest street), to the Colosseum.

This street was the most famous in ancient Rome. The road was the major part of the Roman Triumph.  It served as the route taken by the triumphal processions of victorious generals through Rome.

The victory march started on the outskirts of the city, passed by the Colosseum, then proceeded through the Roman Forum first by crossing under the Arch of Titus and then later the Arch of Severus. It finished nearby at the Capitoline Hill to give thanks to Jupiter.

Here is a digital reconstruction of the Via Sacra.   In the fifth century B.C., the road was supported by a substructure to protect it from the rain. Later it was paved and during the reign of Nero it was lined with colonnades.

The road provided the setting for many deeds and misdeeds of Rome's history, the solemn religious festivals, the magnificent triumphs of victorious generals, and the daily throng assembling in the Basilicas to chat, throw dice, engage in business, or secure justice.

The Via Sacra is still with us today.  The best way for a walk in Roman Forum is descending down the Via Sacra, although to the average person it appears as a mere unimporant path through the Forum.

Earlier I showed a reconstruction facing north.  This reconstruction faces south.  The Arch of Severus is now on the front left.  That is the Temple of Saturn on the front right.  That structure directly at the end of the courtyard is the Temple of Caesar.  At the back of the picture you can see the Colosseum.  You can barely see the white Arch of Titus peeking over the roofs in back. The small circular structure next to Caesar's temple is the round Temple of Vesta.

That long massive building on the right was the Basilica Julia.  This ornate public building was used for meetings and other official business during the early Roman Empire. The building was initially dedicated in 46 BC by Julius Caesar, with building costs paid from the spoils of the Gallic War. 

The long building on the left was known as the Basilica Aemelia. 

That hill on the right in the background is the Palatine Hill. 

All that is left standing is the Arch of Severus and the Temple of Saturn.  That walkway in front of the Arch of Severus is the famous Via Sacra. 

That column standing all by itself in the middle is called the Column of Phocas.  You won't see it in the picture on the left because it was the last structure built in the Forum (608 AD).  Emperor Phocas was so unremarkable that history doesn't even record a reason for why the Column was built!

On the right, that row of rocks is where the Basilica Julia once stood.  The three column structure just past the Basilica Julia site is all that is left of the Temple of Castor and Pollux. 

On the left, the Basilica Aemelia is long gone.  The building past where Basilica Aemelia stood is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina as well as the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda

This is the Temple of Romulus.

The Basilica of Maxentius. 

This picture shows just how little remains of Caesar's Forum. 

When Caesar decided to construct a forum bearing his name in the northeast section of the Forum, he purchased a very expensive, select amount of parcels of land in that area. Forum construction began in 54 BC.  It was dedicated to Caesar and his deeds in 46 BC upon completion (probably with the help of his nephew Augustus). Considering the staggering cost and the personal interest that Caesar had invested in the project, it is a shame he didn't live to see its completion.

This look at the Forum of Caesar from another angle shows convincingly it is nothing more than rubble today.  Someone completely demolished his buildings!

My day in Rome was marked by one frustration and disappointment after another.  However I have to say the absolute low point of the day was starting at the Forum of Caesar trying to comprehend what on earth had happened to this place.  Little did I know it at the time, but I would get my answer. 

The Palatine Hill

By the time Marla and I made it to the top of the Palatine Hill, we were ready to drop.  For much of the time, Marla found a shady spot and sat quietly while I wandered around taking pictures of one set of ruins after another. 

There is absolutely nothing else up on this hill except the various ruins you see in the picture.  The entire area is now devoted to archeology.

These structures were all once palaces.  Flanked by the Roman Forum on one side, Circus Maximus on the other, and the Colosseum on the southeast end, the Palatine Hill was pretty choice real estate.  It served as the luxury home center of the city.   The area is enormous, so there was plenty of room for at least two dozen different palaces, maybe more.  As I walked around, I was feeling pretty irritated because none of these houses had any sort of identification or a hint as to the story behind them. I frowned because I knew full well there had to be incredible tales hidden in those rocks.  For example, you have no idea who Livia is, do you?  One of these days I am going to tell you a story about Livia that is going to absolutely knock your socks off.

The Palatine Hill and its counterpart the Capolitine Hill were always the twin towers of Rome.  These two hills marked the original geographical center of the ancient.  The other five hills of Rome created a perimeter around the two center hills and were on the outskirts of the city.

The first people of Rome lived up on Palatine Hill.  When Augustus Caesar, the famous first Emperor of Rome, built his palace up here, his excavators kept running across one artifact after another.  They would bring the relics to show Augustus.  He was so impressed at all the history located up here that Augustus formed an archeological team of his own to preserve various structures as they were uncovered.  

After I woke up from my Circus Maximus daydreams, I went back to fetch Marla.  We were both fighting exhaustion from the heat and all the walking.  Neither of us said it, but we were both thinking what a shame it was we didn't take the subway over here so we would have had more energy to explore the Roman Forum. 

Slowly but surely, together we trudged over to a much prettier part of the Palatine Hill complete with gardens and lovely trees.  We ended up at a lookout point on the edge of the Palatine which gives a wonderful view of the Forum down below.  While I was up there, I took advantage of the spot to snap many of the pictures used in this story. 

By chance, I overheard a tour guide sharing an anecdote about the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina which was in full view across the way from this lookout point.  A group of twenty people were hanging on every word the tour guide had to say.  Curious, I ambled over so I could hear better.  The guide told of some scandal related to the building of that Temple.  Obviously this guy was privy to some pretty fascinating inside information The crowd roared with laughter and approval.  They were having a great time!  (Unfortunately, I could not hear well enough to be sure what he said nor was I able to find the story on the Internet.  Believe me, I looked).

As I heard the peels of laughter, I wished more than anything else that I could join this group and have some of the mysteries of this incredible place unveiled.  Thanks to this talented man, these people had a walking talking history book right in front of them. This man was able to give voice to the incredible stories enclosed within these forgotten and neglected stones.  I was so envious of these people that they had this guide who could make all this rubble and deterioration come back to life before their very eyes.   Meanwhile I seethed with bitterness.  Their joy aggravated me because they brought all the disappointment I had encountered so far on my self-proclaimed "do-it-yourself" day into sharp focus. 

As I peered out from my vantage point, I could see the well-preserved Arch of Titus.  I smiled as I noticed the space next to it where a giant statue of Nero known as the Colossus had once stood.  In fact, the nearby Colosseum got its name from that statue.  Nero wasn't the most popular guy in Rome, so his statue didn't last very long.  There sure are a lot of places in Rome that have been destroyed.  It sure made me sad to think of all the destruction of these amazing structures. 

It was time now to head home.  Little did I know that before the day was over, there were yet two more incomprehensible humiliations waiting for me just around the corner. 

You won't see the Colossus of Nero any time soon