Arranged orthogonally with respect to the previous Forum of Caesar, it resumed its formal setting, with a porticoed square where the temple dedicated to Mars Ultor dominated on the short side, inaugurated in 2 BC, which leaned on the bottom of the very high perimeter wall.
Behind the side arcades there were large exedras, semicircular covered spaces. At the head of the north portico, a distinct room housed a colossal statue of the emperor. Also in this case, as in the Caesarian work, the construction of the complex was intended for propaganda purposes and all its decoration celebrates the new golden age that was inaugurated with the principality of Augustus.
Suetonius relates that:
"The construction of the new forum was due to both the multitude of people and the number of trials [to be completed], the two existing forums (the Roman Forum and that of Caesar) were no longer sufficient and a third ; for this he hastened to inaugurate it, without the temple of Mars being yet completed and established that in it there were public trials and judges were drawn by lot. "
(Suetonius, Augustus, 29.)
“He had a Forum built smaller than what he wanted, because he didn't want to expropriate the owners of the nearby houses. "
(Suetonius, Augustus, 56)
Forum of Augustus
Address: Piazza del Grillo, 1, 00184
Phone: 060608
Site:
http://060608.itLocation inserted by
Stefano Vigolo