The Augustan Transformation of the Forum Romanum Essay

The Augustan Transformation of the Forum Romanum - Essay Example The noblest of them all was his transformation of the new forum of Augustus at the roman forum and the Julius forum. At this place, a temple of mars the avenger was erected. This was built by Augustus for his commemoration of the war that he had waged to avenge the killing of Caesar. Forum Romanum is a piece of architecture that is both monumental and an envy of many from time immemorial. It became almost as a symbol of unity and Rome. One of the major contributions made by Augustus was the preservation of architecture or buildings that had been built by his predecessors instead of destroying them and building his own to mark his reign. Much credit has been given to Augustus for transforming Rome and preserving the social, cultural, and roman values at his time of rule. The kind of cultural and religious beliefs expressed by the Forum Romanum are immense (Marucchi 1–2). This paper looks at the Forum Romanum’s transformation by Augustus and how this monument is interwove n with the politics, cultures, religious, and other social values held by the roman people. Discussion The Forum Romanum is a plaza that is rectangular in shape and is surrounded by numerous ruins that represent quite a number of important ancient roman government houses that are located in the middle of the city, Rome. This place was initially a place for buying and selling of goods by the roman people and the people originally referred to it as forum magnum. In the roman life, this place served as their central location and marked their public life. This is attributed to the fact that it was the site where all processions of triumph, elections, political speeches, trials of criminals, and matches of gladiators were organized and took place. It was also the commercial nucleus of the roman people (Galinsky 23-56). When looking at these activities, one would be able to understand why the Forum Romanum was such an important location to the romans and why it received so much fame durin g the reign of kings and even in the present day’s history. The statues and monuments that were erected here did commemorate the great men of the city who got fame and favor from the kings, nobles, and the public. It was basically the teeming heart of what could be referred to as the ancient Rome. Historians call this place as the most celebrated meeting place in the whole world and recognized through history. This Forum Romanum is found between the Capitoline Hills and the Palatine. However, currently the Forum Romanum stands out as sprawling ruins made of architectural fragments and has exhibited very intermittent excavations from archeologists (Grant 11-18). The reign of Augustus was extraordinary and left Rome with a new order in government, personal and social identity. His transformations did redefine what Rome was and changed the perceptions of people about what being roman symbolized. Traditions and values that found their roots to new mythology of nationalism were fu lly expressed. The new ideology found its manifestation in architectural designs and art. The political buildings like this Forum Romanum were planned carefully and took into consideration the programs that had been designed for urban renewal and the boosting of the public (Galinsky 23-56). This Forum Roman