Later Imperial Forum

Today we returned to the Forum to look at monuments and buildings in the later part of the Western Empire.  We started with the Arch of Constantine.  This Arch is notably different from the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Septimius Severus in that it uses reliefs taken from other monuments to other emperors and "recycles" them.  As a teacher, we would call this "plagiarism."  The major reliefs on the faces and on the interior of the center arch are taken from monuments to Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius.  Those three are among the greatest Roman emperors, so it's obvious that Constantine was trying to tap into the good feelings Roman citizens had about them (150-200 years before) and always trying to use them to reinforce his legitimacy.

 We then entered the Forum proper and looked at the remnants of the Basilica of Maxentius/Constantine.  The building was begun by Maxentius, a co-ruler of the empire at first, but later a rival whom Constantine defeated.  Maxentius was the first emperor in a long time to live in Rome and dwell in Domitian's Palace (covered a few posts ago).  This Basilica faces that imperial residence.  Upon his defeat and death, Constantine took it over and put his own stamp on it.

This is the so-called "Temple of Romulus," which was given to the church in the early 6th Century by the Ostrogothic king of Italy.  There is now some doubt as to the origin of this temple.  It was long thought to have been built by Maxentius in honor of his dead son Valerius Romulus, but now there is speculation that it might have been the Temple of Jupiter Stator or one dedicated to the Penates.  According to this speculation, the original temple had fallen into disrepair and Maxentius restored it and rededicated it to his son, rather than building an entirely new temple. Along with the temple, the Ostrogoths gave the church the library wing originally belonging to the Temple of Peace which was immediately behind the building.  The church joined the temple to the library.

 Next door is the Temple of Antoninus Pius and his wife Faustina.  Antoninus Pius got his cognomen "Pius" because he fought with the Senate to deify his imperial predecessor Hadrian, and also to deify his wife Faustina when she died three years into his reign.  Originally this temple was built just for his wife, but when he died and the Senate deified him, they added his name to the facing as well.

We then crossed to the Arch of Septimius Severus.  Severus' Arch celebrates his victories over the Parthians and tries to establish his family as a dynasty.  He mentions his sons in the inscription above the arch, but when he dies, the one brother, Caracalla, quickly kills the other, Gaeta.  Caracalla then tries to remove every mention of Gaeta from every monument he can.

Finally, there was the Column of Phocas.  The Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire as it is now called, had regained Italy, northwestern Africa, southern Spain and Illyria (much of Croatia and Serbia) in a series of wars lasting from 535-551.  Phocas was the emperor in Constantinople and had usurped power.  He was popular in Rome though, and gave the Pantheon to the Church.  He restored a guy named Smaragdus (what a name!) to his position as the Exarch of Ravenna and Smaragdus erected this column in Phocas' honor in 609 AD.  Phocas came to a bitter end, beheaded by his successor, Heraclius personally.