DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0275
FORUM BOARIUM
223
Greek marble. Owing to the width of the cella it was divided into a
nave and two aisles by internal columns.1 The ceiling of the peristyle,
between the cella wall and the columns, is coffered, with rosettes in the
centre of each coffer. The concrete base of the steps (Ill. 26) is well
preserved (though the steps are thought to have been relaid at a later
date), and so is a portion of the podium, with its facing of marble slabs
which shows signs of decoration with bronze reliefs. In the podium is
a chamber which was cut in the Middle Ages to serve as a burial vault.
A courtyard behind the north-west exedra, surrounded by an arcade,
is interesting; and the north-west exedra itself has been entirely
cleared. The work, which is still in progress, has not yet been fully
described. (For other literature on forum and temple, see Jord. i. 2.
442-447 ; Rosch. ii. 2392 ; Gilb. iii. 229-232 ; WR 146 ; Mem. L. 3. xiii.
1884, 400-415 ; Mitt. 1891, 94-98 ; LR 304-309 ; LS i. 185 ; Thed.
181-189, 372-374 1 Valadier, Fabbriche di Roma, pt. vii. ; Canina,
Edifizi ii. pls. 96-103 ; DAP 2. xv. 367 ; D’Esp. Mon. ii. 99-102 ; ZA
36-41 ; YW 1924-25, 84 ; Capitolium, ii. 4-49 ; 395-402 ; Mem. L. 5. xvii.
511-513 ; ASA 53, 54, 71).
Forum Boarium (Bovarium, Cic. pro Scaur. 23 ; Liv. passim ; αγορά
καλούμενη or λεγάμενη Έ>οαρία Dionys. i. 4θ ιν· 27 βοών αγορά Plut. cit.)
was, as its name implies, the cattle-market of ancient Rome. It origin-
ally extended from the boundary of the Velabrum (later marked by the
arcus Septimii Severi and the Janus Quadrifrons) to the Tiber, and from
the valley of the circus Maximus to the road leading from the pons
Sublicius (or pons Aemilius) towards the Velabrum, but not as far north
as the Servian Avail (Ov. Fast. vi. 477, 478 ; Varro, LL v. 146 ; id. ap.
Macrob. Sat. iii. 6. 10 ; Propert. iv. 9. 17 ; Liv. x. 23. 3 ; xxi. 62. 3 ; xxii.
57. 6 ; xxiv. 10. 7 ; xxvii. 37. 15 ; xxix. 37. 2 ; xxxiii. 27. 4 ; xxxv.
40. 8 ; Plin. NH xxviii. 12 ; xxxiv. IO, 33 ; Tac. Ann. xii. 24 ; Plut.
Marcell. 3 (cf. Oros. iv. 13. 3 ; Cass. Dio, fr. 47) ; Fest. 30; Not. app. ;
Pol. Silv. 545; Aethicus p. 83, Riese; CIL vi. 1035). The first gladia-
torial games were held here (Vai. Max. ii. 4. 7). See Arcus Septimii
Severi (in foro Boario).
In process of time this large open space was greatly encroached upon
by buildings ; but the name was still applied to the whole district. A
bronze statue of a bull (said to have been brought from Aegina) sym-
bolised its purpose, and (according to some authorities) gave it its name.
It was an important centre of traffic, and had been so from a remote
period ; for the original route from the north and east (see Via Flaminia,
Via Salaria) came along the Vicus Iugarius or the Vicus Tuscus (q.v.)
1 For a bas-relief from Carthage representing Mars Ultor, Venus and Cupid, and the
deified Iulius—the divinities whose statues stood in the apse of the temple—see Rev. Arch.
1899, 37 ; Petersen, cit. p. 184, fig. 58 ; Thed. p. 184, pl. vi. The statue of Mars may be
also represented by the Mars in the Capitol (Cap. 39 ; SScR 249), which was, however, not
found in the Forum Transitorium (cf. Cons. 367).
223
Greek marble. Owing to the width of the cella it was divided into a
nave and two aisles by internal columns.1 The ceiling of the peristyle,
between the cella wall and the columns, is coffered, with rosettes in the
centre of each coffer. The concrete base of the steps (Ill. 26) is well
preserved (though the steps are thought to have been relaid at a later
date), and so is a portion of the podium, with its facing of marble slabs
which shows signs of decoration with bronze reliefs. In the podium is
a chamber which was cut in the Middle Ages to serve as a burial vault.
A courtyard behind the north-west exedra, surrounded by an arcade,
is interesting; and the north-west exedra itself has been entirely
cleared. The work, which is still in progress, has not yet been fully
described. (For other literature on forum and temple, see Jord. i. 2.
442-447 ; Rosch. ii. 2392 ; Gilb. iii. 229-232 ; WR 146 ; Mem. L. 3. xiii.
1884, 400-415 ; Mitt. 1891, 94-98 ; LR 304-309 ; LS i. 185 ; Thed.
181-189, 372-374 1 Valadier, Fabbriche di Roma, pt. vii. ; Canina,
Edifizi ii. pls. 96-103 ; DAP 2. xv. 367 ; D’Esp. Mon. ii. 99-102 ; ZA
36-41 ; YW 1924-25, 84 ; Capitolium, ii. 4-49 ; 395-402 ; Mem. L. 5. xvii.
511-513 ; ASA 53, 54, 71).
Forum Boarium (Bovarium, Cic. pro Scaur. 23 ; Liv. passim ; αγορά
καλούμενη or λεγάμενη Έ>οαρία Dionys. i. 4θ ιν· 27 βοών αγορά Plut. cit.)
was, as its name implies, the cattle-market of ancient Rome. It origin-
ally extended from the boundary of the Velabrum (later marked by the
arcus Septimii Severi and the Janus Quadrifrons) to the Tiber, and from
the valley of the circus Maximus to the road leading from the pons
Sublicius (or pons Aemilius) towards the Velabrum, but not as far north
as the Servian Avail (Ov. Fast. vi. 477, 478 ; Varro, LL v. 146 ; id. ap.
Macrob. Sat. iii. 6. 10 ; Propert. iv. 9. 17 ; Liv. x. 23. 3 ; xxi. 62. 3 ; xxii.
57. 6 ; xxiv. 10. 7 ; xxvii. 37. 15 ; xxix. 37. 2 ; xxxiii. 27. 4 ; xxxv.
40. 8 ; Plin. NH xxviii. 12 ; xxxiv. IO, 33 ; Tac. Ann. xii. 24 ; Plut.
Marcell. 3 (cf. Oros. iv. 13. 3 ; Cass. Dio, fr. 47) ; Fest. 30; Not. app. ;
Pol. Silv. 545; Aethicus p. 83, Riese; CIL vi. 1035). The first gladia-
torial games were held here (Vai. Max. ii. 4. 7). See Arcus Septimii
Severi (in foro Boario).
In process of time this large open space was greatly encroached upon
by buildings ; but the name was still applied to the whole district. A
bronze statue of a bull (said to have been brought from Aegina) sym-
bolised its purpose, and (according to some authorities) gave it its name.
It was an important centre of traffic, and had been so from a remote
period ; for the original route from the north and east (see Via Flaminia,
Via Salaria) came along the Vicus Iugarius or the Vicus Tuscus (q.v.)
1 For a bas-relief from Carthage representing Mars Ultor, Venus and Cupid, and the
deified Iulius—the divinities whose statues stood in the apse of the temple—see Rev. Arch.
1899, 37 ; Petersen, cit. p. 184, fig. 58 ; Thed. p. 184, pl. vi. The statue of Mars may be
also represented by the Mars in the Capitol (Cap. 39 ; SScR 249), which was, however, not
found in the Forum Transitorium (cf. Cons. 367).