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{{Short description|Ancient Roman imperial forum, a landmark of Rome, Italy}}
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[[Image:RomaForoAugusto.JPG|thumb|Remains of [[forum (Roman)|Forum]] of [[Augustus]] with the Temple of [[Mars Ultor]].<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City">{{cite AV media | url=https://class.coursera.org/romanarchitecture-001/lecture/101 | title=Augustus Assembles His Marble City | publisher=Yale University | people=Diana E. E. Kleiner | medium=Multimedia presentation}}</ref>]]
{{Infobox ancient site
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[[Image:050425-001ViaBaccinaMuroDellaSuburra.JPG|thumb|The fireproof wall with Arco dei Pantani and the columns of the temple.]]
|name=Forum of Augustus
|image= Tempio di Marte Ultore (Roma) - Laterale.jpg
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|caption= Remains of the [[forum (Roman)|Forum]] of [[Augustus]] with the Temple of [[Mars Ultor]].<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City">{{cite AV media | url=https://class.coursera.org/romanarchitecture-001/lecture/101 | title=Augustus Assembles His Marble City | publisher=Yale University | people=Diana E. E. Kleiner | medium=Multimedia presentation | access-date=2014-02-16 | archive-date=2022-05-24 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524221559/https://class.coursera.org/romanarchitecture-001/lecture/101 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
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|map_caption=Shown within Augustan Rome
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The '''Forum of Augustus''' ({{lang-it|Foro di Augusto}}) is one of the [[Imperial forums]] of Rome, Italy, built by [[Augustus]]. It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated in 2 BC, 40 years after they were first vowed.
The '''Forum of Augustus''' ({{langx|la|Forum Augustum}}; {{langx|it|Foro di Augusto}}) is one of the [[Imperial fora]] of Rome, Italy, built by [[Augustus]] ({{Reign|27 BC|AD 14}}). It includes the [[Temple of Mars Ultor]]. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated in 2 BC, 40 years after they were first vowed.


==History==
==History==
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[[Image:Temple de Mars Ultor - Rome - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - APMH00025783.jpg|thumb|upright|The fireproof wall with Arco dei Pantani and the columns of the temple.]]
The [[triumvir]] [[Augustus|Octavian]] vowed to build a temple honoring [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], the Roman God of War, during the [[battle of Philippi]] in 42 BC.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/> After winning the battle, with the help of [[Mark Antony]] and [[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)|Lepidus]], Octavian had avenged the assassination of his adoptive father [[Julius Caesar]].<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/> He became the Princeps of Rome in 27 BC under the name Augustus, and planned for the temple to be built in a new forum named after himself. Augustus used social propaganda by continuing [[Julius Caesar]]'s will to create a Temple to Mars Ultor "greater than any in existence", by placing it within the Temple, linking himself to his divine adopted father, obtaining a strong link to the Roman population through their love for the deceased dictator.
The [[triumvir]] [[Augustus|Octavian]] vowed to build a temple honoring [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], the Roman God of War, during the [[battle of Philippi]] in 42 BC.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/> After winning the battle, with the help of [[Mark Antony]] and [[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)|Lepidus]], Octavian had avenged the assassination of his adoptive father [[Julius Caesar]].<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/> He became the [[Princeps|Princeps of Rome]] in 27 BC under the name Augustus, and planned for the temple to be built in a new forum named after himself. Augustus used social propaganda by continuing [[Julius Caesar]]'s will to create a Temple to Mars Ultor "greater than any in existence," by placing it within the Temple, linking himself to his divine adopted father, obtaining a strong link to the Roman population through their love for the deceased dictator.


The land the Forum was to be built on was already owned by Augustus himself. However, the initial plans called for more space than he had. In order to keep those on the land he would need to purchase to build upon, the plans were altered slightly, so some asymmetry is apparent, especially in the Eastern corner of the precinct; for which Suetonius states that Augustus did not want to take the houses of the nearby owners by force.<ref>Suetonius, ''Augustus'', 56.2</ref> This self-proclaimed good deed was more than likely just a ploy to save Augustus money and trouble. These land issues, as well as numerous architectural mishaps, prolonged construction. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated, 40 years after they were first vowed, in 2 BC.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/><ref>{{cite book | first=Leland M. | last=Roth | year=1993 | title=Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning | edition=First | publisher=Westview Press | location=Boulder, CO | isbn=0-06-430158-3 | page=222}}</ref> In 19 AD Tiberius added two [[triumphal arch]]es either side of the temple in honour of [[Drusus the Younger]] and [[Germanicus]] and their victories in Germania.
The majority of the land that the Forum was to be built on was already owned by Augustus himself. However, the initial plans called for more space than he had and would have required him to purchase or expropriate further land. Instead, the plans were altered slightly, so some asymmetry is apparent, especially in the Eastern corner of the precinct. Suetonius states that Augustus did not want to take the houses of the nearby owners by force.<ref>Suetonius, ''Augustus'', 56.2</ref> These land issues, as well as numerous architectural mishaps, prolonged construction. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated, 40 years after they were first vowed, in 2 BC.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/><ref>{{cite book | first=Leland M. | last=Roth | year=1993 | title=Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning | edition=First | publisher=Westview Press | location=Boulder, CO | isbn=0-06-430158-3 | page=[https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/222 222] | url=https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/222 }}</ref> In 19 AD Tiberius added two [[triumphal arch]]es either side of the temple in honour of [[Drusus the Younger]] and [[Germanicus]] and their victories in Germania.


With the dedication of the [[Forum of Trajan]] in 112, the number of inscriptions found in the Forum of Augustus decline, which suggests that many of its functions were transferred to the new venue, although [[Hadrian]] made some repairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/imperialfora/augustus/ruins.html |title=Temple of Mars Ultor: Ruins |publisher=Penelope.uchicago.edu |date= |accessdate=2014-08-03}}</ref> The educational and cultural use of the exedrae were recorded in the late antiquity. The last notice of the forum was given in 395. Archeological data testifies to the systematic dismantling of the structures in the first half of the 6th century, probably because it was seriously damaged in an earthquake or during the wars. The Forum of Augustus was among the first of the great public buildings of Rome which disappeared that also explains the rapid loss of the memory of its original name. In the 9th century a [[Basilian monks|Basilian monastery]] was erected on the podium of the ruined temple.
With the dedication of the [[Forum of Trajan]] in 112 AD, the number of inscriptions found in the Forum of Augustus decline, which suggests that many of its functions were transferred to the new venue, although [[Hadrian]] made some repairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/imperialfora/augustus/ruins.html |title=Temple of Mars Ultor: Ruins |publisher=Penelope.uchicago.edu |access-date=2014-08-03}}</ref> The educational and cultural use of the exedrae were recorded in the late antiquity. The last reference to the forum dates to 395 AD. Archaeological data indicates that the structures were systematically dismantled in the first half of the 6th century, probably because it was seriously damaged in an earthquake or during the wars. The Forum of Augustus was among the first of the great public buildings of Rome which disappeared that also explains the rapid loss of the memory of its original name. In the 9th century a [[Basilian monks|Basilian monastery]] was erected on the podium of the ruined temple. By the 10th century, the forum had become so congested with ruins and vegetation, that the locals had given it the name ''Hortus mirabilis'' (the wonderful garden).<ref>Gregorovius, Ferdinand, History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, Volume 3 (1895), pg 546</ref>


==Usage==
==Usage==
[[File:Augusto di pirma porta, inv. 2290, 02.JPG|thumb|right|The central breastplate relief on the statue of [[Augustus of Prima Porta]] shows the return of the Aquila (Roman eagle standard) lost to the Parthians.]]
[[File:Augusto di pirma porta, inv. 2290, 02.JPG|thumb|upright|The central breastplate relief on the statue of [[Augustus of Prima Porta]] shows the return of the Aquila (Roman eagle standard) lost to the Parthians.]]
[[File:Augusto, aureo con tempio di marte ultore.JPG|thumb|left|Roman Coin showing the Aquila (Roman eagle standard) in the Temple of Mars the Avenger.]]
[[File:Augusto, aureo con tempio di marte ultore.JPG|thumb|Roman Coin showing the Aquila (Roman eagle standard) in the Temple of Mars the Avenger.]]
The Forum of Augustus was built to both house a temple honouring Mars, and to provide another space for legal proceedings, as the [[Roman Forum]] was very crowded.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/><ref>{{cite book | first=Donald C. | last=Earl | year=1968 | title=The Age of Augustus | publisher=Crown Publishers | location=New York | page = 116 }}</ref> Before battle, generals set off from the Temple of Mars, after attending an inaugural ceremony. Other ceremonies took place in the temple including the assumption of the [[toga]] virilis by young men. The Senate met at the Temple when discussing war and the victorious generals dedicated their spoils from their triumphs to Mars at the altar. Arms or booty recovered from battle were often stored in the Forum as well.<ref>{{cite book | year=1970 | title=The Cambridge Ancient History | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=London | page=193 |edition= New}}</ref> Another use that Augustus made of the Temple was to store the standards taken by the Parthians from Crassus during his [[Battle of Carrhae|failed campaign]], after their retrieval through Augustus' diplomacy in 20 BC, as depicted by the [[Augustus of Prima Porta]]. Three [[Aquila (Roman)|Aquilae]] were lost in 9 AD in the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]] of the Legions [[Legio XVII]], [[Legio XVIII]] and [[Legio XIX]]; all three were recovered-one in 14 AD from the Marsi and one in 15 AD from the Bructeri; the 3rd was recovered in 41 AD from the Chauci-and all three placed within the Temple of Mars the Avenger.
The Forum of Augustus was built to both house a temple honouring Mars, and to provide another space for legal proceedings, as the [[Roman Forum]] was very crowded.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/><ref>{{cite book | first=Donald C. | last=Earl | year=1968 | title=The Age of Augustus | url=https://archive.org/details/ageofaugustus00earlrich | url-access=registration | publisher=Crown Publishers | location=New York | page = [https://archive.org/details/ageofaugustus00earlrich/page/116 116] }}</ref> Before battle, generals set off from the Temple of Mars, after attending an inaugural ceremony. Other ceremonies took place in the temple including the assumption of the [[toga]] virilis by young men. The Senate met at the Temple when discussing war and the victorious generals dedicated their spoils from their triumphs to Mars at the altar. Arms or treasure recovered from battle were often stored in the Forum as well.<ref>{{cite book | year=1970 | title=The Cambridge Ancient History | url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeancient00came_964 | url-access=limited | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=London | page=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgeancient00came_964/page/n214 193] |edition= New}}</ref> Another use that Augustus made of the Temple was to store the standards taken by the Parthians from Crassus during his [[Battle of Carrhae|failed campaign]], after their retrieval through Augustus' diplomacy in 20 BC, as depicted by the [[Augustus of Prima Porta]]. Three [[Aquila (Roman)|Aquilae]] were lost in 9 AD in the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]] of the Legions [[Legio XVII]], [[Legio XVIII]] and [[Legio XIX]]; all three were recovered-one in 14 AD from the Marsi and one in 15 AD from the Bructeri; the 3rd was recovered in 41 AD from the Chauci-and all three placed within the Temple of Mars the Avenger.
[[File:Forum of Augustus drawing.jpg|thumb|Artist's rendition of Forum of Augustus.]]
[[File:Forum of Augustus drawing.jpg|thumb|Artist's rendition of Forum of Augustus.]]
[[File:20140804 Forum of Augustus Rome 0679.jpg|thumb|Ruin of Forum of Augustus.]]
[[File:Forum auguste plan.png|thumb|upright|Plan of Forum of Augustus with Temple of Mars the Avenger.]]
[[File:Forum auguste plan.png|thumb|Plan of Forum of Augustus with Temple of Mars the Avenger.]]


==Statuary==
==Statuary==
The Forum was filled with a rich variety of different statues. Most notable were the statues of Augustus in full military outfit in the center of the Forum, and of Mars and Venus in the Temple. In total, there were 108 portrait statues with inscriptions of each individual’s achievements, providing an important idea of how Augustus viewed his role within Roman history.<ref>{{cite book | first=David | last=Magie | title=Scriptores Historiae Augustae, with an English Translation by David Magie | series=Loeb Classical Library | publisher=Harvard University Press | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | year=1967–1968 | page=235 }}</ref> The inscriptions are called ''elogia'' by modern scholars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.attalus.org/docs/cil/elogia.html |title=Latin Inscriptions: Elogia |publisher=Attalus.org |date= |accessdate=2014-08-03}}</ref> In addition to statues of all the Roman triumphatores, which were either made of bronze or marble and were placed along the left side of the Forum and in the left exedrae, the entire right side and right exedrae were full of statues of men in the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty|Julian-Claudian]] family. They trace Augustus’ lineage back through the fourteen [[Alban kings]] to the founding ancestors [[Aeneas]] and [[Romulus]]. These figures reinforced the importance of both Roman lineage and also of the prestigious lineage that Augustus himself held.<ref>{{cite book | year=1970 | title=The Cambridge Ancient History | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=London | page=833 |edition= New}}</ref> By advertising this lineage, he reinforced his power and authorities as a leader. Also, by placing himself amongst great figures and heroes, he further portrayed himself and his own importance. He paints himself as one of ‘the greats’ worthy of the power he held. Whilst all the ''elogia'' record the deeds of these great men, Augustus’ [[Res Gestae Divi Augusti]] acts as a direct parallel.
The Forum was filled with a rich variety of different statues. Most notable were the statues of Augustus in full military outfit in the center of the Forum, and of Mars and Venus in the Temple. In total, there were 108 portrait statues with inscriptions of each individual's achievements, providing an important idea of how Augustus viewed his role within Roman history.<ref>{{cite book | first=David | last=Magie | title=Scriptores Historiae Augustae, with an English Translation by David Magie | series=Loeb Classical Library | publisher=Harvard University Press | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | year=1967–1968 | page=235 }}</ref> The inscriptions are called ''elogia'' by modern scholars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.attalus.org/docs/cil/elogia.html |title=Latin Inscriptions: Elogia |publisher=Attalus.org |access-date=2014-08-03}}</ref> In addition to statues of all the Roman triumphatores, which were either made of bronze or marble and were placed along the left side of the Forum and in the left exedrae, the entire right side and right exedrae were full of statues of men in the [[Julio-Claudian dynasty|Julian-Claudian]] family. They trace Augustus's lineage back through the fourteen [[Alban kings]] to the founding ancestors [[Aeneas]] and [[Romulus]]. These figures reinforced the importance of both Roman lineage and also of the prestigious lineage that Augustus himself held.<ref>{{cite book | year=1970 | title=The Cambridge Ancient History | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=London | page=833 |edition= New}}</ref> By advertising this lineage, he reinforced his power and authorities as a leader. Also, by placing himself amongst great figures and heroes, he further portrayed himself and his own importance. He paints himself as one of ‘the greats’ worthy of the power he held. Whilst all the ''elogia'' record the deeds of these great men, Augustus's [[Res Gestae Divi Augusti]] acts as a direct parallel.


The statues in the forum provided excellent reasoning for Augustus to claim his restoration of the Republic. Not only were the great men of Rome’s past being honored through their busts, but Augustus was also establishing his ancestry to these men, either by blood or by spirit. This provided Augustus with another connection between himself and the old Republic, an era of Roman history he continuously tried to invoke during his reign.
The statues in the forum provided excellent reasoning for Augustus to claim his restoration of the Republic. Not only were the great men of Rome's past being honored through their busts, but Augustus was also establishing his ancestry to these men, either by blood or by spirit. This provided Augustus with another connection between himself and the old Republic, an era of Roman history he continuously tried to invoke during his reign.


The statues of the famous men of the Republic for which an inscription has survived are:<ref>Geiger, ''First Hall of Fame'', pp. 137–156.</ref>
Other statues included an ivory [[Athena Alea]], sculpted by [[Endoeus]], which Augustus took from its temple in [[Tegea]], in Greece.


* [[Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis (consul 496 BC)|Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis]], consul in 496 BC, won the [[Battle of Lake Regillus]].
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The forum is made of ashlar blocks of peperino tufa with [[Carrara marble]]. Its construction also includes colonnades made of ''giallo antico'', from Numidia, with the second storey of colonnades made from ''africano'' and ''pavonazzetto''. Interestingly these materials are from all over the Empire,but the enclosing walls were made of local Roman stone; although the different coloured stone would create a visual spectacle they also symbolize that the empire might be built from many different nations, but they are all defended and kept by Rome.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/>
* [[Manius Valerius Maximus]], dictator in 494 BC, allegedly the first [[Princeps senatus|princeps Senatus]].
* [[Aulus Cornelius Cossus]], consul in 428 BC, was awarded the ''[[spolia opima]]'' for killing the Etruscan king [[Lars Tolumnius]] during the [[Battle of Fidenae (437 BC)|Battle of Fidenae]] in 437 BC.
* [[Marcus Furius Camillus]], five times dictator between 396 and 367 BC, who saved Rome after the [[Sack of Rome (387 BC)|Sack]] by the Gauls in 390 BC.
* [[Marcus Valerius Corvus]], six times consul between 346 and 299 BC, triumphed three times.
* [[Lucius Papirius Cursor]], five times consul between 326 and 313 BC, hero of the [[Samnite Wars|Second Samnite War]]. He was compared to [[Alexander the Great]] by Livy.
* [[Appius Claudius Caecus]], censor in 312 BC, built the first [[Roman aqueduct]] ([[Aqua Appia]]) and first [[Roman roads|Roman road]] ([[Appian Way|Via Appia]]).
* [[Gaius Fabricius Luscinus]], consul in 282 and 278 BC, famous for his incorruptibility during the [[Pyrrhic War]].
* [[Gaius Duilius]], consul in 260 BC, won the first naval victory over [[Ancient Carthage|Carthage]] at [[Battle of Mylae|Mylae]].
* [[Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus]], five times consul between 233 and 209 BC, famous for his [[Fabian strategy|delaying strategy]] against [[Hannibal]] during the [[Second Punic War]].
* [[Marcus Claudius Marcellus]], five times consul between 222 and 208, was awarded the ''spolia opima'' in 222 BC, and [[Siege of Syracuse (213–212 BC)|captured Syracuse]] in 212 BC.
* [[Scipio Africanus]], consul in 205 and 194 BC, defeated Hannibal at [[Battle of Zama|Zama]] in 202 BC.
* [[Gaius Cornelius Cethegus]], consul in 197, triumphed over the [[Cenomani (Cisalpine Gaul)|Cenomani]].
* [[Cato the Elder|Marcus Porcius Cato]], consul in 195 BC, famous for his conservative morals, author of the first ''[[Origines|Roman History]]'' in Latin.
* [[Lucius Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus]], consul in 190 BC, defeated [[Antiochus III the Great|Antiochos III]] at [[Battle of Magnesia|Magnesia]].
* [[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 187 BC)|Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]], consul in 187 and 175, princeps senatus six times, and [[pontifex maximus]].
* [[Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus]], consul in 182 and 168 BC, defeated [[Perseus of Macedon|Perseus]] at [[Battle of Pydna|Pydna]].
* [[Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (consul 177 BC)|Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus]], consul in 177 and 163 BC, triumphed over the [[Celtiberians]] and [[Sardinian people|Sardinians]].
* [[Gaius Claudius Pulcher (consul 177 BC)|Gaius Claudius Pulcher]], consul in 177, triumphed over the [[Histri]] and [[Ligures]].
* [[Scipio Aemilianus]], consul in 147 and 134 BC, captured [[Siege of Carthage (Third Punic War)|Carthage]] and [[Siege of Numantia|Numantia]].
* [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus]], consul in 143, defeated [[Andriscus]].
* [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus]], consul in 109, defeated [[Jugurtha]].
* [[Gaius Marius]], seven times consul between 107 and 86, defeated the [[Cimbri]] and [[Teutons]].
* [[Sulla]], consul in 88 and 80 BC, captured Jugurtha and defeated Mithridates.
* [[Lucullus|Lucius Licinius Lucullus]], consul in 74 BC, defeated [[Mithridates VI|Mithridates]] and [[Tigranes the Great|Tigranes]].

Other statues included an ivory [[Athena Alea]], sculpted by [[Endoeus]], which Augustus took from its temple in [[Tegea]], in Greece. A large statue called the Genius of Augustus was placed in the northern portico, currently referred to as the Hall of the Colossus- the possible base is still intact and visible. Fragments of this statue are now located in the nearby [[Imperial_fora#Museum| Museum of the Imperial Fora]].

⚫
The forum is made of [[ashlar]] blocks of [[peperino]] tufa with [[Carrara marble]]. Its construction also includes colonnades made of ''[[giallo antico]]'', from Numidia, with the second storey of colonnades made from ''africano'' and ''pavonazzetto''. These materials are from all over the Empire, but the enclosing walls were made of local Roman stone; although the different coloured stone would create a visual spectacle they also symbolize that the empire might be built from many different nations, but they are all defended and kept by Rome.<ref name="Augustus Assembles His Marble City"/>


== See also ==
== See also ==
*{{annotated link|Forum of Caesar}}
*[[Imperial fora]]
*[[Imperial fora]]
*[[Roman architecture]]
*[[Roman architecture]]
*[[List of ancient monuments in Rome]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}


==Sources==
==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Forum Augusti}}

*{{cite book|last=Raaflaub |title=Between the Republic and Empire}}
*{{cite book|last=Raaflaub |title=Between the Republic and Empire}}
*{{cite book|first=T.J.|last= Luce|title= Livy Augustus and the Forum Augustum |pages=123–138}}
*{{cite book|first=T.J.|last= Luce|title= Livy Augustus and the Forum Augustum |pages=123–138}}
*{{cite book|title=Augustan Culture |first=Karl |last=Galinsky |pages=197–213}}
*{{cite book|title=Augustan Culture |first=Karl |last=Galinsky |pages=197–213}}
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*{{cite book | first=Leland M. | last=Roth | year=1993 | title=Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning | edition=First | publisher=Westview Press | location=Boulder, CO | isbn=0-06-430158-3 | page=222}}
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*{{cite book | first=Donald C. | last=Earl | year=1968 | title=The Age of Augustus | publisher=Crown Publishers | location=New York | page = 116 }}
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*{{cite book | year=1970 | title=The Cambridge Ancient History | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=London | page=193 |edition= New}}
*{{cite book|last=Platner | first=Samuel Ball |title=A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome}}
*{{cite book|last=Platner | first=Samuel Ball |title=A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome}}
*{{cite book | first=David | last=Magie | title=Scriptores Historiae Augustae, with an English Translation by David Magie | series=Loeb Classical Library | publisher=Harvard University Press | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | year=1967–1968 | page=235 }}
*{{cite book | first=David | last=Magie | title=Scriptores Historiae Augustae, with an English Translation by David Magie | series=Loeb Classical Library | publisher=Harvard University Press | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | year=1967–1968 | page=235 }}
*Joseph Geiger, ''The First Hall of Fame, A Study of the Statues in the'' Forum Augustum, Leiden/Boston, Brill, 2008.


==External links==
{{Coord|41|53|40|N|12|29|13|E|region:IT_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title}}
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*{{cite book | first=Leland M. | last=Roth | year=1993 | title=Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning | edition=First | publisher=Westview Press | location=Boulder, CO | isbn=0-06-430158-3 | page=[https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/222 222] | url=https://archive.org/details/understandingarc00roth/page/222 }}
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{{Imperial forums of Rome}}
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*{{cite book | first=Donald C. | last=Earl | year=1968 | title=The Age of Augustus | url=https://archive.org/details/ageofaugustus00earlrich | url-access=registration | publisher=Crown Publishers | location=New York | page = [https://archive.org/details/ageofaugustus00earlrich/page/116 116] }}
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*{{cite book | year=1970 | title=The Cambridge Ancient History | url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeancient00came_964 | url-access=limited | publisher=Cambridge University Press | location=London | page=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgeancient00came_964/page/n214 193] |edition= New}}
*{{cite book |first=M. |last=Lucentini |title=The Rome Guide: Step by Step through History's Greatest City|date=31 December 2012 |publisher=Interlink |isbn=9781623710088 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=laMDAQAAQBAJ}}


{{commons-inline}}
{{Sequence
| prev = [[Imperial fora]]
| list = Landmarks of Rome
| curr = Forum of Augustus
| next = [[Forum of Caesar]]
}}
<!--"Forum of Caesar" as the next landmark and "Imperial fora" as the previous one are taken from the navbox "Landmarks of Rome" that is placed below. A navbox is invisible in mobile view. The addition enables mobile users to click at least the next landmark or the previous one. -->
{{Monuments of Rome}}
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{{Imperial forums of Rome}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forum Of Augustus}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forum Of Augustus}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century BC]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century BC]]
[[Category:Imperial forums of Rome|Augustus]]
[[Category:Imperial forums of Rome|Augustus]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman architecture]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Rome]]
[[Category:Augustan building projects]]
[[Category:Rome R. I Monti]]
[[Category:Rome R. I Monti]]
[[Category:Augustus]]

Latest revision as of 16:00, 14 November 2024

Forum of Augustus
Remains of the Forum of Augustus with the Temple of Mars Ultor.[1]
Forum of Augustus is located in Rome
Forum of Augustus
Forum of Augustus
Shown within Augustan Rome
Map
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Coordinates41°53′39″N 12°29′12″E / 41.89417°N 12.48667°E / 41.89417; 12.48667

The Forum of Augustus (Latin: Forum Augustum; Italian: Foro di Augusto) is one of the Imperial fora of Rome, Italy, built by Augustus (r. 27 BC – AD 14). It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated in 2 BC, 40 years after they were first vowed.

History

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The fireproof wall with Arco dei Pantani and the columns of the temple.

The triumvir Octavian vowed to build a temple honoring Mars, the Roman God of War, during the battle of Philippi in 42 BC.[1] After winning the battle, with the help of Mark Antony and Lepidus, Octavian had avenged the assassination of his adoptive father Julius Caesar.[1] He became the Princeps of Rome in 27 BC under the name Augustus, and planned for the temple to be built in a new forum named after himself. Augustus used social propaganda by continuing Julius Caesar's will to create a Temple to Mars Ultor "greater than any in existence," by placing it within the Temple, linking himself to his divine adopted father, obtaining a strong link to the Roman population through their love for the deceased dictator.

The majority of the land that the Forum was to be built on was already owned by Augustus himself. However, the initial plans called for more space than he had and would have required him to purchase or expropriate further land. Instead, the plans were altered slightly, so some asymmetry is apparent, especially in the Eastern corner of the precinct. Suetonius states that Augustus did not want to take the houses of the nearby owners by force.[2] These land issues, as well as numerous architectural mishaps, prolonged construction. The incomplete forum and its temple were inaugurated, 40 years after they were first vowed, in 2 BC.[1][3] In 19 AD Tiberius added two triumphal arches either side of the temple in honour of Drusus the Younger and Germanicus and their victories in Germania.

With the dedication of the Forum of Trajan in 112 AD, the number of inscriptions found in the Forum of Augustus decline, which suggests that many of its functions were transferred to the new venue, although Hadrian made some repairs.[4] The educational and cultural use of the exedrae were recorded in the late antiquity. The last reference to the forum dates to 395 AD. Archaeological data indicates that the structures were systematically dismantled in the first half of the 6th century, probably because it was seriously damaged in an earthquake or during the wars. The Forum of Augustus was among the first of the great public buildings of Rome which disappeared that also explains the rapid loss of the memory of its original name. In the 9th century a Basilian monastery was erected on the podium of the ruined temple. By the 10th century, the forum had become so congested with ruins and vegetation, that the locals had given it the name Hortus mirabilis (the wonderful garden).[5]

Usage

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The central breastplate relief on the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta shows the return of the Aquila (Roman eagle standard) lost to the Parthians.
Roman Coin showing the Aquila (Roman eagle standard) in the Temple of Mars the Avenger.

The Forum of Augustus was built to both house a temple honouring Mars, and to provide another space for legal proceedings, as the Roman Forum was very crowded.[1][6] Before battle, generals set off from the Temple of Mars, after attending an inaugural ceremony. Other ceremonies took place in the temple including the assumption of the toga virilis by young men. The Senate met at the Temple when discussing war and the victorious generals dedicated their spoils from their triumphs to Mars at the altar. Arms or treasure recovered from battle were often stored in the Forum as well.[7] Another use that Augustus made of the Temple was to store the standards taken by the Parthians from Crassus during his failed campaign, after their retrieval through Augustus' diplomacy in 20 BC, as depicted by the Augustus of Prima Porta. Three Aquilae were lost in 9 AD in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest of the Legions Legio XVII, Legio XVIII and Legio XIX; all three were recovered-one in 14 AD from the Marsi and one in 15 AD from the Bructeri; the 3rd was recovered in 41 AD from the Chauci-and all three placed within the Temple of Mars the Avenger.

Artist's rendition of Forum of Augustus.
Plan of Forum of Augustus with Temple of Mars the Avenger.

Statuary

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The Forum was filled with a rich variety of different statues. Most notable were the statues of Augustus in full military outfit in the center of the Forum, and of Mars and Venus in the Temple. In total, there were 108 portrait statues with inscriptions of each individual's achievements, providing an important idea of how Augustus viewed his role within Roman history.[8] The inscriptions are called elogia by modern scholars.[9] In addition to statues of all the Roman triumphatores, which were either made of bronze or marble and were placed along the left side of the Forum and in the left exedrae, the entire right side and right exedrae were full of statues of men in the Julian-Claudian family. They trace Augustus's lineage back through the fourteen Alban kings to the founding ancestors Aeneas and Romulus. These figures reinforced the importance of both Roman lineage and also of the prestigious lineage that Augustus himself held.[10] By advertising this lineage, he reinforced his power and authorities as a leader. Also, by placing himself amongst great figures and heroes, he further portrayed himself and his own importance. He paints himself as one of ‘the greats’ worthy of the power he held. Whilst all the elogia record the deeds of these great men, Augustus's Res Gestae Divi Augusti acts as a direct parallel.

The statues in the forum provided excellent reasoning for Augustus to claim his restoration of the Republic. Not only were the great men of Rome's past being honored through their busts, but Augustus was also establishing his ancestry to these men, either by blood or by spirit. This provided Augustus with another connection between himself and the old Republic, an era of Roman history he continuously tried to invoke during his reign.

The statues of the famous men of the Republic for which an inscription has survived are:[11]

Other statues included an ivory Athena Alea, sculpted by Endoeus, which Augustus took from its temple in Tegea, in Greece. A large statue called the Genius of Augustus was placed in the northern portico, currently referred to as the Hall of the Colossus- the possible base is still intact and visible. Fragments of this statue are now located in the nearby Museum of the Imperial Fora.

The forum is made of ashlar blocks of peperino tufa with Carrara marble. Its construction also includes colonnades made of giallo antico, from Numidia, with the second storey of colonnades made from africano and pavonazzetto. These materials are from all over the Empire, but the enclosing walls were made of local Roman stone; although the different coloured stone would create a visual spectacle they also symbolize that the empire might be built from many different nations, but they are all defended and kept by Rome.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Diana E. E. Kleiner. Augustus Assembles His Marble City (Multimedia presentation). Yale University. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  2. ^ Suetonius, Augustus, 56.2
  3. ^ Roth, Leland M. (1993). Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History and Meaning (First ed.). Boulder, CO: Westview Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-06-430158-3.
  4. ^ "Temple of Mars Ultor: Ruins". Penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  5. ^ Gregorovius, Ferdinand, History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, Volume 3 (1895), pg 546
  6. ^ Earl, Donald C. (1968). The Age of Augustus. New York: Crown Publishers. p. 116.
  7. ^ The Cambridge Ancient History (New ed.). London: Cambridge University Press. 1970. p. 193.
  8. ^ Magie, David (1967–1968). Scriptores Historiae Augustae, with an English Translation by David Magie. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 235.
  9. ^ "Latin Inscriptions: Elogia". Attalus.org. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  10. ^ The Cambridge Ancient History (New ed.). London: Cambridge University Press. 1970. p. 833.
  11. ^ Geiger, First Hall of Fame, pp. 137–156.

Further reading

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  • Raaflaub. Between the Republic and Empire.
  • Luce, T.J. Livy Augustus and the Forum Augustum. pp. 123–138.
  • Galinsky, Karl. Augustan Culture. pp. 197–213.
  • Platner, Samuel Ball. A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome.
  • Magie, David (1967–1968). Scriptores Historiae Augustae, with an English Translation by David Magie. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 235.
  • Joseph Geiger, The First Hall of Fame, A Study of the Statues in the Forum Augustum, Leiden/Boston, Brill, 2008.
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Media related to Forum of Augustus at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Imperial fora 		Landmarks of Rome
Forum of Augustus 		Succeeded by
Forum of Caesar
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