Roman Forum facts are easier to trust when each one comes with a date and a source, so this page gives you both. I took them from Wikipedia and the official site and quote the numbers as those sources give them, including a few that other books round differently. You get a timeline, then the story by period, then 14 Roman Forum facts with a source each. When you are ready to visit, my page on Roman Forum tickets compares all 10 options and what each one includes.
Roman Forum Facts Timeline
Year
What happened
About 1200 to 975 BC
Pottery deposits show people on the site in the Final Bronze Age
8th century BC
The area shifts from a cemetery to a public space
7th century BC
The Forum is drained with the first structures of the Cloaca Maxima
497 BC
The Temple of Saturn, the earliest Forum temple with a known construction date
484 BC
The Temple of Castor and Pollux
78 BC
The Tabularium is built at the Capitoline end
63 BC
Cicero speaks against Catiline’s companions, who are executed at the Tullianum
44 BC
Mark Antony gives the funeral oration for Caesar, who is cremated in public
29 BC
The Temple of Caesar and the Arch of Augustus are constructed
203 AD
The Arch of Septimius Severus is dedicated
312 AD
The Basilica of Maxentius is completed, the last major expansion
608 AD
The Column of Phocas is erected on 1 August, the last monumental addition
663 AD
Constans II strips the lead roofs
1084
The Normans sack Rome and debris begins to accumulate
1540 to 1550
Pope Paul III’s depredations supply stone for Saint Peter’s Basilica
1803
Carlo Fea begins clearing debris from the Arch of Septimius Severus
1898
Official excavations begin under the Italian government
2020
Archaeologists find a sarcophagus and circular altar dating to the 6th century BC
Roman Forum Facts: From Cemetery to Marketplace
Wikipedia says people were living on the Forum, the Palatine and the Capitoline in the Final Bronze Age, around 1200 to 975 BC, and that in the early Iron Age the future Forum served as a cemetery. In the 8th century BC it began to shift to a public space. The first big step was drainage: the Forum was drained in the 7th century BC with the first structures of the Cloaca Maxima. Tarquinius Priscus reportedly had the area paved for the first time around 600 BC, and the same article credits Numa Pompilius with the Regia and the cult of Vesta in the years 715 to 673 BC.
One of the Roman Forum facts that shocks people is how much the ground has changed. Wikipedia says that in the 80s BC, under Sulla, the plaza was raised by almost a meter and given permanent marble paving. The deepest excavated level is 3.60 meters above sea level.
Roman Forum Facts From the Republic
The oldest temples with known dates come from this period. The Temple of Saturn dates to 497 BC and the Temple of Castor and Pollux to 484 BC. The Rostra, the speakers’ platform, was turned toward the Forum in 361 BC by the consul Caius Licinius, according to Wikipedia. The Forum was also a place of political violence: in 133 BC Tiberius Gracchus was lynched there by senators.
Basilicas arrived in the 2nd century BC. Wikipedia says Marcus Porcius Cato introduced the earliest in 184 BC, and the Basilica Fulvia was dedicated in 179 BC on the north side. The Tabularium was built at the Capitoline end in 78 BC. In 63 BC Cicero delivered his speech against Catiline’s companions, who were executed at the Tullianum, and in 44 BC Mark Antony gave the funeral oration for Caesar, whose body was cremated in public.
Roman Forum Facts From the Empire
Augustus and his successors built over the old republican space. The Temple of Caesar and the Arch of Augustus were constructed in 29 BC. Trajan’s Forum, built in 110 AD, shifted activity away from the old Forum, and Wikipedia notes that the Comitium is last mentioned in ancient writings around 200 AD. The Arch of Septimius Severus was dedicated in 203 AD, and Diocletian refurbished and reorganised the Forum between 284 and 305.
The last major expansion was the Basilica of Maxentius, completed in 312 AD. The last monumental addition was the Column of Phocas, dedicated on 1 August 608. For where these stand, my Roman Forum map page lays out the sights in a walking order.
Roman Forum Facts on Decline and Reuse
The decline was gradual and then fast. In 663 AD Constans II stripped the lead roofs of the monumental buildings, and by the 8th century the space was surrounded by Christian churches. After Robert Guiscard’s Normans sacked Rome in 1084, Wikipedia says debris began to accumulate unabated, and in the 13th century the site was turned into a dumping ground.
Interest in the ancient monuments grew after Pope Urban V returned from Avignon in 1367, but not always in a protective way. Wikipedia lists demolitions for stone: the Temple of Venus and Roma in 1450, the House of the Vestals in 1499 and, in 1540 to 1550, Pope Paul III’s worst depredations, which supplied stone for Saint Peter’s Basilica. Charles V’s triumph in 1536 also prompted demolitions to clear the way.
Roman Forum Facts From the Excavations
Carlo Fea began clearing debris from the Arch of Septimius Severus in 1803, and official excavations began under the Italian government in 1898. Giacomo Boni led them and died in 1925. The work is not finished: Wikipedia records damage to the concrete covering over the Lapis Niger from heavy rains in 2008, discoveries by archaeologists in 2009 and the finding of a sarcophagus and circular altar dating to the 6th century BC in 2020.
14 Roman Forum Facts With Sources
The Forum began as a marketplace and was called the Forum Magnum by Romans (Wikipedia).
People lived on the site in the Final Bronze Age, around 1200 to 975 BC (Wikipedia).
The Temple of Saturn, dated 497 BC, is the earliest Forum temple with a known construction date (Wikipedia).
Eight columns of the Temple of Saturn remain (Wikipedia).
Under Sulla in the 80s BC the plaza was raised by almost a meter (Wikipedia).
The site is at an elevation of 13 m (43 ft) and covers 2 ha (4.9 acres) (Wikipedia).
It receives 4.5 million or more visitors a year (Wikipedia).
Wikidata lists an inception value of 800 for the Forum, but the entry does not say whether that is a BC or AD date, so I left it out. The official site is parcocolosseo.it.
See the Roman Forum Facts in Place
A guide turns these Roman Forum facts into a walk, and almost every Forum ticket I compare pairs it with the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. The most-reviewed guided option is the Vivicos tour: $56, 4.5 stars from 10,195 reviews, 2.5 to 3 hours, with free cancellation up to 3 days before.
Vivicos International Travel
Colosseum, Roman Forum And Palatine Hill Guided Tour
★4.5 (10,195 reviews)
2.5 - 3 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The most-reviewed guided tour: $56, 4.5 from 10,195 reviews, Colosseum, Forum and Palatine in 2.5 to 3 hours.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Reserved time entry to the Colosseum (18+2,44€)
✓ Reserved time entry to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill
✓ Reserved entry to the Colosseum arena (if option selected 24+2,44€)
✓ Expert Guide (Not included For Audioguide Option)
✓ Headphones to hear the guide better (Not included For Audioguide Option)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Hotel pickup and drop-off
✕ Tips
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Japanese
Duration: 2.5 - 3 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 3 days in advance for a full refund
“Ellen was wonderful, sharing so much history and bringing Ancient Rome to life. Definitely recommend.” – GetYourGuide review
Wikipedia says pottery shows people were on the site in the Final Bronze Age, around 1200 to 975 BC, and that the area shifted from a cemetery to a public space in the 8th century BC. Reported first structures include the Regia and the first work on the Cloaca Maxima in the 7th century BC.
What was the Roman Forum used for?+
Wikipedia describes it as a rectangular plaza surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the centre of Rome. Citizens called it the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum, and it began as a marketplace.
Who built the Temple of Saturn?+
Wikipedia dates the Temple of Saturn to 497 BC and calls it the earliest Forum temple with a known construction date. Eight of its columns still stand.
Why did the Roman Forum fall into ruin?+
Wikipedia names several causes: Constans II stripped the lead roofs in 663 AD, the Normans sacked Rome in 1084 and debris began to accumulate, and by the 13th century the site had become a dumping ground. From the 15th century buildings were demolished for stone, with Pope Paul III's depredations of 1540 to 1550 supplying stone for Saint Peter's Basilica.
When were the Roman Forum excavations?+
Wikipedia says Carlo Fea began clearing debris from the Arch of Septimius Severus in 1803, and official excavations began under the Italian government in 1898. Giacomo Boni, who led them, died in 1925.
How many people visit the Roman Forum?+
Wikipedia says 4.5 million or more people visit it every year. I did not find a more recent figure from the official site.
