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1.2

1.2.1 The Forum

1.2.1 The Forum

Historical background

All Roman cities had a forum, around which public buildings associated with commerce, religion and administration clustered. This was the main meeting and trading place in the town.

The public square acted as a marketplace, along with shops and covered walkways which might be used for open stalls. Around the forum you would also find the law courts and other key administrative buildings. There were temples to important gods, candidates in elections would use the steps of these to make their election speeches, and there were statues of prominent local citizens.

Pompeii’s forum was typical in that the majority of the most important civic buildings could be found in and around it. These included the municipal offices, the basilica (court-house), and important temples such as that to the Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno and Minerva protectors of the state, women and craftsmen respectively) and the temple to the Genius (divine spirit) of the Emperor. The market specialised in fish, meat and vegetables.

Evidence

The House of Julia Felix, is a large house on the Via dell' Abbondanza belonging to a wealthy Pompeiian woman, Julia Felix. The art in the House depicts every day life in Pompeii, and includes a frieze running around the atrium presenting a series of scenes set in Pompeii’s forum. We aren’t sure how many scenes were painted originally, but we have about 11 metres worth – removed from the House in the 18th – preserved in the Naples Museum.

Here we have four images from this fresco. The fresco has become quite damaged over time, so these images are accompanied by drawings to help you see the detail more clearly.

Scenes:

1. Men and a young boy reading a long public notice written on a board or scroll fixed to three equestrian statues.

2. On the left is a woman buying cloth, and on the right a man selects a metal saucepan, while a young boy at his side carries a shopping basket.

3. A seated magistrate appears to be making a judicial decision regarding a young girl or woman accompanied by another man, she could possibly be a slave.

4. An older woman – accompanied either by a slave or her child – appears to be giving money to a beggar and his dog.

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