role of the roman forum

The roman forum was an imperative part of roman society offering the citizens of Rome a place in which to go about there daily lives. Almost everything a roman citizen did would take place within the forum including schooling, business, worship, ceremonies and leisure activities. The forum was divided into two sectors, both housing specific buildings. The northern part was the hub for all political establishments and where all main celebrations occurred. The southern part served as the religious hub and a marketplace. The roman forum contained many building integral to roman religion and worship. The temple of Vesta was one such building. Guarded by the vestal virgins, the temple dates back to the 4th century BC and was one of the most important buildings in Rome as it was dedicated to the prefectures of the state and family. It also housed the sacred eternal flame that symbolized the eternal life of Rome and was situated in the center of the forum. The temple of Saturn was similarly placed in the forum and as Saturn was associated with agriculture, the source of Rome's wealth his temple became the state treasury. It also housed the banner of the legions and the senatorial decrees. The temple of concord was build to commemorate the ‘lex lecinia sextia’, which allowed for plebeians to become consuls. The temple represented harmony within the state and was used as a meeting place for the senate in times of civil unrest and had cultural significance to the romans, representing the plebeians right to consulship. The temple of castor and Pollux was similarly a temple built as a reminder of the battle of lake regillus. It served as a meeting place for the roman senate in the roman republic and housed a podium used as a speaker’s platform. The Regia served as the office for the figure head of religion during the republic and the housing for the archives of the Pontifex Maximus. This included the formulas to any prayers, vows and sacrifices as well as the state