- The Basilica Julia was an important edifice in the Forum Romanum that held offices for the civil law courts, government offices, bankers and shops.
- The building was located on the south side of the Forum Romanum, beside the Temple of Castor and Pollux.
The Site
- Although the colonnades are no longer standing, the steps leading up to the building are still in situ. A maintenance entrance to the Cloaca Maxima is still present.
History
- Work was begun by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE with money from the Gallic Wars, and completed by Augustus.
- The Basilica was rebuilt several times after fires in 9 CE, 199 CE and 283 CE, lastly by Diocletian.
Adjacent Streets
- Vicus Jugarius
- on the west side of the Basilica, led from the Forum Romanum to the Campus Martius, and was the oldest street in Rome.
- Vicus Tuscus
- was a road which ran between the two buildings, from the Forum Romanum to the Forum Boarium and the Circus Maximus.
Cloaca Maxima
- A maintenance entrance to the Cloaca Maxima, which ran under the Basilica, was inserted on the eastern) side, with steps descending underground, and is still visible today.
Basilica Julia