Source: ezinearticles.com
Archaeological excavations began at the end of the 19th century and now the ruins,, go today, ranging from 1,400 to 2,500 years in age, can be explored.Near the Arch of Titus stands the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, the law courts of ancient Rome; Michelangelo copied its arches for St Peter's.Further in is the round Temple of Vesta, where the six Vestal Virgins tended the Eternal Flame of Rome.
The Vestals took vows of chastity before they were ten years of age, and lived by them for 30 years; if the vows were broken, the virgins were buried alive. Next door,the House of the Vestal Virgins, with its flowered garden, is one of the prettiest parts of the Forum. Close by lies an open space where political meetings were held and criminals executed. Here you'll find the Rostra, the platform from which politicians would address the crowd.
This is where Mark Antony made his "Friends, Romans and Countrymen" speech over Caesar's body, after which the mob burned their hero on the spot where the Temple of Divus Julius stands.Fresh flowers mark the location. The nearby Mamertine Prison is where St Peter was allegedly detained.Across the Via dei Fori Imperiali are the Imperial Forums, which contain Trajan's Markets, a massive ancient shopping and office complex.
On the west side of the Roman Forum is the Palatine hill. During Imperial times, this was the place for the city's rich and powerful to reside. The first emperor, Augustus, lived modestly up here, but his successors all built grand residences - today only traces remain. Green and flower-filled in spring, the Palatine is the most pleasant of the city's ancient sites to wander.
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