Acta

  • ‘Acta Diurna’ meaning ‘Daily Acts’ or ‘Daily Public Records’ were daily news sheets posted in the Forum Romanum in Rome.
  • They were the Roman equivalent the modern Newspaper.

Circulating the News in Ancient Rome

  • The Roman Government had a system for circulating written news between 131 BCE until c. 324 CE when they were moved to the New Roman Capital of Constantinople.
  • Some sources place the dates of the Acta between 59 BCE to circa 222 CE.

Stone or Metal Sheets

  • The Roman ‘Acta’ were daily news sheets etched onto stone tablets or metal sheets, and posted on information stands in the Forum Romanum.
  • Sometimes, copies were made and sent to the Provinces.

Content

  • Government and Legal News
    • They contained news of Political Events, New Legislation, Trials, Scandals, Military Campaigns, Trials and Executions.
  • Weddings, Births and Obituaries
    • They also had news of important Marriages, Births and Deaths and Astrological Omens.
  • Compositus Ludus
  • Acta Senatus
    • The Acta Senatus was a separate Report of the daily Proceedings of the Roman Senate consisting of Proclamations, Edicts and important Votes.

 

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