What is a forum?
A forum is the central public square of a Roman city that acted as the hub for trade, administration, and religion. It was the beating heart of urban life, where citizens gathered to buy and sell, administer justice, and honour the gods.
Function in the Roman city
The forum usually lay at the intersection of the two main streets, the cardo and the decumanus. The most important public buildings clustered around this square, bringing political, economic, and spiritual life together in one place.
Surrounding buildings
The forum was enclosed by prestigious architecture:
| Element | Function |
|---|---|
| Basilica | Law courts and business dealings |
| Temple | Religious worship (e.g. the Capitoline gods) |
| Colonnades | Covered walkways along the square |
| Curia | Meeting hall of the city council |
| Tabernae | Shops and market stalls |
The rows of columns (colonnades) gave the square an enclosed, monumental character and offered shelter from sun and rain.
Comparison and urban planning
The Roman forum is comparable to the Greek agora, the marketplace that served a similar gathering and trading function. For centuries the forum remained the model for the central city square in Western urban planning.
Related terms
- Agora
- Basilica
- Colonnade
- Cardo and decumanus
- Portico
- Insula
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