The appearance of the Forum 110-' during the last days of the empire nay scribed as follows: Looking toward the l” the spectator would see the Temples of of Vespasian and the Dii Consentes. The is Lf Saturn stood between the slope of the ol and the Vicus Jugarius. Beside it was arch of Tiberius, near that of Septimius rus. Between these two arches were the a. The political buildings stood on the ter side of the arch of Severus. Here was Senate house of the Curia. while the ple of Janus rose side by side with the lica "'Emilia. On the south and opposite was the vast Basilica Julia, and the beauti Temple of the Dioscuri. East from this p of buildings was an open space occupied to Temple of Julius, side by side with which the triumphal arch of Augustus, and be I these is the most interesting tract of the forum, the centre of antique and primitive tan religion. The Shrine of Vesta, the ple of Antoninus and Faustina, the Templum is made up a magnificent range of noble and mn structures, and we are reminded also at this point once stood the arch of the Li at the opening of the ancient Via Sacra. ['he invasions of the Goths did not bring h destruction upon the forum. It was in
11th century that the buildings were dev ted at the sacking of Rome (1084), when gory VII was delivered from the Castle of Angelo by Duke Guiscard. The rarest iuments of the antique world were employed fortresses. The 16th century witnessed the iquarian curiosity and reckless vandalism of Renaissance. The Forum of Cicero and gustus became a wilderness with only a few Iated columns to mark the site of temples or aces. Under the learned and liberal Pius I the relics were preserved from further .truction and the archeologist Carlo Fea n began those excavations which have been itinued by Lanciani.
In modern usage, the term forum has come mean any public place for discussion, or al, as the stage of an assembly room, the Lumns of a newspaper, a court of justice, etc. Bibliography.— Jordan, 'Topographie der adt Rom im Alterthum' (1871); Middleton, 'he Remains of Ancient Rome' (1892) ; cholas, 'The Roman Forum' (1877) ; Lan nil 'Ruins and Excavations of Ancient Rome' 897) ; Boni, official report of excavations, Zotizie degli scavi) (1899 et seq.) ; Platner, 7opography and Monuments of Ancient Rome' 904).