- All Roman towns and cities had a Forum, a public square surrounded by civic buildings, which was at the centre of Roman Public Life.
- In a Roman Fort, the Forum was called the Principia.
Standard Layout of a Roman Forum
- The Forum was placed at the intersection of the Cardo Maximus (north-south road) and the Decumanus Maximus (east-west road) in each civic centre.
- A Temple of Jupiter was located at the northern end.
- Other Temples were located along the Forum.
- A Basilica, a Public Building which contained the Courts, and had other Public functions.
- A Market, with a Weights and Measures Table nearby.
- Public Baths.
- Triumphal Arches and Victory Columns.
Forum Romanum
- The Forum Romanum was the spiritual heart of Public Life in Rome and dates to the foundation the Kingdom of Rome in 753 BCE. All the main Roman Civic Buildings and Temples were built along the Forum.
- The Via Sacra passed through the Forum Romanum, from the Capitoline Hill to the Colosseum and Processions and Roman Triumphs passed along it.
The Seven Forums of Ancient Rome
- Forum Romanum (8th century BCE)
- Forum Boarium (8th century BCE)
- Forum Holitorium (3ed century BCE)
- Forum of Julius Caesar (54 BCE)
- Forum of Augustus (2 BCE)
- Forum of Nerva (97 CE)
- Forum of Trajan (112 CE)
Forum Romanum in Rome