The views (1, 2, 4, 5) are taken from the Palatine Hill and 7 from the Capitoline Hill.

1.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/for_rom_central/ac822333.html At the top of the photo right-to-left you can see an arch in a brick wall and [¯¯] shaped areas. This is the Portico of Gaius and Lucius Caesar and behind it is the Basilica Aemilia (aka Emilia, Paulli). The Porticus was built about 42 years after Julius Caesar's assassination but in 44 BC that area had many shops facing the original Forum across the street. It was from these shops that tables, chairs, benches etc were looted by the frenzied mob to build Julius Caesar's funeral pyre.

The large brick ruin in the center of the photo is the "Temple of (Divine) Julius Caesar" (Divus Julius). The rectangular area on the left side is the front of the Temple facing the Forum, in the middle of this is a half-circle recess covered by a modern tin roof. In this recess are the remains of the altar's concrete core which marks the spot where Julius Caesar was cremated. The small standing white columns also roughly in the center of the photo is the "Temple of Vesta" where the Vestal Virgins kept an eternal sacred fire burning.

Directly behind the Temple of Julius Caesar to the right of the Temple of Vesta is the Regia.

The road to the right of the Temple of Vesta is the original Via Sacra. Halfway between the Temple of Vesta and the right edge of the photo you can make out a rectangular area then a smaller square hole to the right alongside the Via Sacra.

The rectangular area is the "Shrine of Mars" in the Regia where my trip report starts (also see Photo 8 ).

2.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/for_rom_central/ac660408.html In this photo the Regia is covered over and you can see the Via Sacra (partially hidden) from the Regia heading to the right side of the photo. Directly below the photo out of view is the garden courtyard of the "House of the Vestal Virgins".

Between the bottom of the photo and the Via Sacra you'll see a small roofed building in the center with a small grove of trees on the left and an open space with some ruins on the right to the right/end of the photo.

This is where the "Domus Publica" was located, it was the official residence of the Pontifex Maximus (Pope). It was Julius Caesar's residence from 62 BC when his pontificate (term) began until the day he was assassinated.

The photo is old but today between that small roofed building and the bottom of the photo is a modern tin roof to protect recent excavations. The Domus Publica has been built over by later buildings. But under that tin roof they have discovered rooms from Julius Caesar's resident time period including an apsidal room with mosaic paving, identified as the Tabilinum. Also now they are doing excavations all along the area to the right of this building.

3.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/for_rom_west/ac990904.html This is the view from Regia / Shrine of Mars. The Temple of Julius Caesar and behind that is a tall complete brick building. That is the Curia Julia (Senate House) that Julius Caesar was having built at the time of his death. It was completed by Augustus about fifteen years later. It was to replace the Curia Hostilia which was demolished to build this new Curia. It's remains are probably located under the Church you see to the left behind the Curia. The rear doors of Julius Caesar's Curia opened into the Forum of Caesar where the Senate sometimes met.

But on 15 March 44 BC the Senate was to meet at the Curia Pompey, located outside the Forum about .9 km NW of the Curia Julia. Julius Caesar's litter bearers left his house (Domus Publica) and exited the Forum on the street "Clivus Argentarius" (The Banker's Rise) Photo 8. It was located between where that building (Church: St. Giuseppe dei Falegnami, Carcer Mamertine Prison) is just to the right of the scaffolding on the Arch of Septimius Severus and the Forum of Julius Caesar located behind the Curia.

4.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/for_rom_west/ac660411.html From the Palatine. The Regia is covered over, the bottom left square section covers "The Shrine of Mars".

5.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/tabularium/ac660412.html At the bottom section of the photo from the center over to the Arch of Septimius Severus, there appears to be a wall behind that lone standing column. This is the Rostra of Caesar (podium - orator's platform) where Julius Caesar's body was brought and Marc Anthony give his famous speech.

6.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/tabularium/ac881321.html A closeup of the Rostra, the holes in the bricks are where the captured enemy rostra were mounted (sharp bronze prows mounted on the front of a ship for ramming/sinking). The original location of the Rostra was in front of the Curia, Julius Caesar had this one built at the end of the Forum. After his death Augustus expanded it outwards towards the Forum. The only real remnants of Julius Caesar's Rostra would be in the back. Basically the concrete core and some of the substructure. But a section of steps up onto the Rostra do remain, these would have been climbed by Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony and also those who carried Julius Caesar's coffin (bier) up onto the podium.

7.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/arch_septimius/ac740810.html To the right of the Arch you can see the rear of the Rostra. The remaining "steps" mentioned above appear black in this photo (they must have been covered over then?) but they are white. They are at the bottom of the photo to the right of that circular object, which is the Mundus / Umbilicus Urbis. The center of the city and where the living world was in contract with the underworld through a deep cleft in the earth. [Please also see the bottom of this photo, taken from behind Augustus' Rostra -Jeff]

8.

penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/Forum_Romanum/.Texts/Huelsen*/2/31.html See the "Ground Plan" diagram, you are standing on the Via Sacra which runs from the right-middle side to the top-middle end of the diagram. You are facing "D" which is the "Shrine / Altar of Mars" in the "Temple of Mars". The "D circle" (2.53 m diameter) appears today as a circular grassy raised mound but beneath it is a grey tufa stone circle in the floor.

9.

penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/PLATOP*/Clivus_Argentarius.html This is the street mentioned in Photo 3 'Clivus Argentarius', it's the road from the Forum to the Campus Martius (Field of Mars) where the Curia Pompey was located.

10.

www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/3theaters.jpg That half-circle building at the bottom of the photo is the Theatre of Pompey. The rectangular Porticus of Pompey is behind the theatre, and in the center of the back section of the porticus is the Curia Pompey (small square building). And behind the rear porticus are the four Temples (A, B, C, D), directly behind the Curia is the circular Temple B and the rectangular Temple C. At the top of the photo right-of-center is a temple (Juno?) atop the Capitoline Hill where today stands the Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument. To the left of that off the photo is the Forum.

10a.

www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/pompeyrecon.GIF

11.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/largo_argent/ac740511.html This will be your first view of the Temples. "D" is below you (not in photo), "C" is in the bottom of photo, "B" is center (white steps), "A" is the far temple (Brown steps). Also wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/largo_argent/ac990808.html

12.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/largo_argent/ac990807.html Circular Temple "B', distant tree - second one from the left side of photo - marks the center/rear of the Curia.

12a.

www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/largoargent3.jpg

13.

wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/rome/largo_argent/ac991829.html The missing section of the Curia Pompey is to the left of that tree on the right-end of photo.

14.

www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/largoargent8.jpg Taken in front of Temple B (on the right), the plastic shelter is attached to Temple C, and that footbridge crosses the ditch between these temples. Behind the plastic the right/rear wall of the Curia Pompey comes out from the sidewalk and butts against the rear of Temple C and the Curia Pompey's rear wall (stone blocks) are visible to the right of the plastic and extending (right) to behind Temple B.

To the left of that middle tree is the first rear structure (window?) support (stone blocks). From there to behind "C" is the first third of the Curia Pompey. The tree on the right is *The Tree* again :-) in the middle of the second third.

15.

www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/largoargent11.jpg Standing behind Temple B (directly behind the first column on left). Directly beneath the feet of where this photo was taken is where the missing left-rear wall. If you look straight down (not in the photo) you will see *a* stone block which is all that remains of that left side of the Curia Pompey. The wall would have come out from the sidewalk and turned right and been attached to the second stone structure (window?) support in the center of the photo. You can see the first structure support at the end of the plastic. And that small rectangular stone block above it in the photo is the right-rear corner of the Curia Pompey. There it turns right and heads back to the sidewalk along that iron fence. And on the right is *The Tree* again, dead center in the middle rear third of the Curia Pompey.

16.

www.vroma.org/images/raia_images/largoargent10.jpg View from behind Temple C of the Curia Pompey, the iron fence is along the Curia Pompey's right-rear wall. In the distance are the remains (visible from the sidewalk) of marble toilets behind Temple A, this bathroom was attached to the rear wall of the Porticus of Pompey, to the left of the Curia Pompey in Photo 10a.

Next: Part 9: Regia: (House of the King) The site of the second King of Rome's (Numa Pompilius 715-673 BC) Royal Palace
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