Space and Place: The Forum Romanum

Today’s tour of the Roman Forum began with the first Adopt-a-site presentation of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. Although we could not get past the gates, the scale of the partially preserved basilica was impressive, even at a distance, and provided a solid first visual reference by which to compare the other buildings. Walking through the forum past ruins of once-massive buildings like the Basilica Aemilia or the Temple of the Divine Julius Caesar, which are little more than rubble today, one can imagine how extraordinary the landscape would have been two thousand years ago. The space feels controlled and even today has a natural course, which the forum’s original architects surely intended. As a modern tourist, I am awestruck by the sheer scale diversity of functions that the buildings possess. And although I’m not Italian, I feel a sense of Roman Pride. From the Arch of Titus’ depiction of the sack of Jerusalem to the remains of the Temple of Castor and Pollux, each structure is as much functional as it is evocative of Rome’s glory. I can picture Ancient Romans passing each building and appreciating not only its economic, political, religious, or social purpose but also its preservation of a specific triumph of their people. By the end of the walk through the forum, this  aura of Rome’s collective memory made the ruins feel animate, not abandoned.