Forum Civilium
Encyclopedia
A Forum Civilium was a judicial
center in Ancient Rome
during the Roman Empire
. These judicial forums were extensions of the Roman Forum
(Forum) which had become congested with commercial and civic activity.
The three major civic forums were the Forums of Caesar
and Augustus
, and the Roman Forum. The forums were not used for commercial activity, but used as a meeting place for dealings in public affairs as well as the noblest activities that were before held in the Forum.
Julius Caesar
built the first Imperial Forum 56-154 BC to relieve congestion in the old forum.
The Forum of Augustus
was built to celebrate Augustus's victory over Brutus
and Cassius
, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The temple was dedicated to Mars Ultor
the Avenger and was adorned with statues; on the attic of the porticos ran a decoration of female figures (Caryatid
s) and clipeus
.
This forum has incredible architecture for the time. In conjunction with the establishment of the fora civilia, commercial activity was moved from the Forum and started in the Fora Venalia
along the Tiber
.
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
center in Ancient Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
during the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. These judicial forums were extensions of the Roman Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
(Forum) which had become congested with commercial and civic activity.
The three major civic forums were the Forums of Caesar
Forum of Caesar
The Forum of Caesar, also known as Forum Iulium or Forum Julium, Forum Caesaris, is a forum built by Julius Caesar near the Forum Romanum in Rome in 46 BC.-Construction:...
and Augustus
Forum of Augustus
The Forum of Augustus is one of the Imperial forums of Rome, Italy, built by Augustus. It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor.-History:The triumvir Octavian vowed to build a temple honoring Mars, the Roman God of War, during the battle of Philippi in 42 BC...
, and the Roman Forum. The forums were not used for commercial activity, but used as a meeting place for dealings in public affairs as well as the noblest activities that were before held in the Forum.
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
built the first Imperial Forum 56-154 BC to relieve congestion in the old forum.
The Forum of Augustus
Forum of Augustus
The Forum of Augustus is one of the Imperial forums of Rome, Italy, built by Augustus. It includes the Temple of Mars Ultor.-History:The triumvir Octavian vowed to build a temple honoring Mars, the Roman God of War, during the battle of Philippi in 42 BC...
was built to celebrate Augustus's victory over Brutus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus
Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus was a Roman politician and general of the 1st century BC and one of the leading instigators of Julius Caesar's assassination...
and Cassius
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:...
, the assassins of Julius Caesar. The temple was dedicated to Mars Ultor
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
the Avenger and was adorned with statues; on the attic of the porticos ran a decoration of female figures (Caryatid
Caryatid
A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
s) and clipeus
Clipeus
In the military of classical antiquity, a clipeus was a large shield worn by the Greeks and Romans as a piece of defensive armor, which they carried upon the arm, to secure them from the blows of their enemies...
.
This forum has incredible architecture for the time. In conjunction with the establishment of the fora civilia, commercial activity was moved from the Forum and started in the Fora Venalia
Forum Venalium
A Forum Venalium was a food market in Ancient Rome during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. These mercantile forums were extensions of the Roman Forum and contained numerous buildings and monuments erected under the Republic and the Empire.In Politics Aristotle proposed that a city should have...
along the Tiber
Tiber
The Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at...
.