FORUM, an open place used, like the Greek agora (q.v.), for the transaction of mercantile, judicial, or political business. It was level, rectangular in form, surrounded by porticoes, basilicas, courts of law, and other public buildings. In the laws of the Twelve Tables the word is used of the vestibule of a tomb ; in a Roman camp the forum was an open place immediately beside the praetorium; and the term was no doubt originally applied gener ally to the space in front of any public building or gateway. In Rome (q.v.) itself forum was almost a proper name, denoting the flat and formerly marshy space between the Palatine and Capito line hills (also called Forum Romanum), which even during the regal period afforded the accommodation necessary for such pub lic meetings as could not be held within the area Capitolina. In early times the Forum Romanum was used for athletic games, and over the porticoes were galleries for spectators; there were also shops of various kinds. But with the growth of the city, more than one forum became necessary, and under the empire a con siderable number of civilia (judicial) and venalia (mercantile) fora came into existence. In addition to the Forum Romanum, the fora of Caesar and Augustus belonged to the former class ; the forum boariurn (cattle), holitorium (vegetable), etc., to the lat ter. The forum Nerva (also called transitorium or pervium, be cause a road led through it to the Forum Romanum), and those of Trajan and Vespasian, although intended to facilitate the course of public business, were chiefly erected to embellish the city. In Pompeii, at the north-east end of the forum, there was a macellum (market) and shops for provisions, and on the east side a cloth workers' exchange ; at Timgad in North Africa (a military colony founded under Trajan) the whole of the south side of the forum was occupied by shops. The forum was paved, and although on festal occasions chariots were driven through, it was not a thoroughfare and was enclosed by gates at the entrances, of which traces have been found at Pompeii. The word forum frequently appears in the names of Roman market towns; as, for example, in Forum Appii, Forum Iulii (Frejus), Forum Livii (Forli), Forum Sempronii (Fossombrone). These were distinguished from mere vici by the possession of a municipal organization, which, however, was less complete than that of a prefecture. In legal phraseology the word is practically equivalent to "court" or "jurisdiction." For the fora at Rome, see ROME: Archaeology, and works quoted, cf. also J. E. Sandys, Companion to Latin Studies (1921) , with useful bibliography.