Forum Boarium

The Forum Boarium ( from Latin bos " cow " ) was a market square ( forum) of ancient Rome, who served his name after mainly as a cattle market.

Overview

The Forum Boarium lay on the shore of a shallow body of the Tiber River, which was once used by shepherds as a transition. Therefore, this place was a place for the cattle trade, hence the name of the later Forum stirred.

The Forum Boarium is the oldest in Rome. Here were due to the favorable geographical conditions, not only the first bridge over the Tiber, but also the original main port of the city ( Portus Tiberinus ). Rege business activities were the result that eased only slightly, as was laid in the 3rd century BC, the seaport to Ostia Antica (42 AD There was a further Harbor Building in Portus Romae ) and the Portus Tiberinus to the city harbor plummeted. Yet he remained until the second century AD. In Trajan it was decommissioned and overbuilt with warehouses.

Am Forum Boarium are the Temple of Hercules Victor, who has long been attributed to the Vesta, was most likely but dedicated to the Victorious Hercules and the Temple of Portunus, a harbor god Portunus consecrated place of worship ( according to previous view of Fortuna Virilis ). The temples are so well preserved because they were rebuilt in the Middle Ages churches.

In addition, on the northern edge of the Forum are the highly weathered Arch of Janus ( Janus quadrifrons ), formerly a covered street intersection and distributors meeting place, and the so-called Argentarierbogen ( arcus argentariorum ).

At the southeast end of the Forum was a late antique building in which likely had its seat, the prefect of the Cura annonae, the food supply of the city. Remains of this monumental building can still be seen today in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. In its porch is an antique marble relief, which is popularly called " Mouth of Truth " ( bocca della verità ). The Romans believed in the Middle Ages that a liar 's hand would be bitten, when he put in the mouth of the relief.