Coordinates: 41°53′35″N, 12°29′07″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

The reconstructed Curia is the large building on the right of this panorama

The Curia Hostilia (Latin, "Hostilian Court") was the favourite meeting place of the Roman Senate in the Forum Romanum at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, near the well of the Comitia. For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ... The Roman Forum (Forum Romanum) was a central area of ancient Rome in which commerce, business, trading and the administration of justice took place. ... The Capitoline Hill (Capitolinus Mons), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the most famous and smallest of the seven hills of Rome. ... Village pump redirects here, for information on Wikipedia project-related discussions, see Wikipedia:Village pump. ...

Throughout antiquity there were two main buildings that served as the official meeting-place of the Roman Senate, the Curia Hostilia and the Curia Julia.

The Curia Hostilia

The original Senate House of Rome is the Curia Hostilia. It is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Tullus Hostilius, around the 7th century BC^[1]. This Curia Hostilia was the site of the irregular execution of the demagogue Lucius Appuleius Saturninus and his partisans in 100 BC. Domus Tullus Hostilius (r. ... A demagogue (sometimes spelled demagog) is a leader who obtains power by appealing to the gut feelings of the public, usually by powerful use of rhetoric and propaganda. ... Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, Roman demagogue. ... The world in 100 BC. The eastern hemisphere in 100 BC. Consuls: Lucius Valerius Flaccus, Gaius Marius (Mariuss sixth consulship). ...

The first major alteration to the building came in 80 BC when Lucius Cornelius Sulla restored and enlarged the curia. It was burned down in 52 BC when a mob cremated the body of the demagogue Publius Clodius Pulcher inside it. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC - 80s BC - 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC Years: 85 BC 84 BC 83 BC 82 BC 81 BC - 80 BC - 79 BC 78 BC 77... Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (Latin: L•CORNELIVS•L•F•P•N•SVLLA•FELIX)[1] (ca. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC - 50s BC - 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC Years: 57 BC 56 BC 55 BC 54 BC 53 BC 52 BC 51 BC 50 BC 49... Publius Clodius Pulcher (born around 92 BC, died January 18, 52 BC), was a Roman politician, chiefly remembered for his feuds with Titus Annius Milo and Marcus Tullius Cicero and introducing the grain dole. ...

Description of the Curia Hostilia

As it was the oldest Senate House in Roman history, relatively little is known about it. One feature of the Curia that is mentioned in almost all sources is the “Tabula Valeria.” The “Tabula Valeria” was a painting on the exterior of the Curia’s western wall^[2]. It depicted the victory of Manius Valerius Maximus Corvinus Messalla over Hiero and the Carthaginians in 263 BC^[3]. Pliny says that the painting was the first such picture in Rome.^[4] Manius Valerius Maximus Corvinus Messalla, was Roman consul in 263 BC. In this year, with his colleague Manius Otacilius (or Octaciius) Crassus, he gained a brilliant victory over the Carthaginians and Syracusans; the honour of a triumph was decreed to him alone. ... Hiero is the name of multiple people, in particular: Hiero I of Syracuse Hiero II of Syracuse This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the ancient city-state of Carthage in North Africa. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC - 260s BC - 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC Years: 268 BC 267 BC 266 BC 265 BC 264 BC - 263 BC - 262 BC 261 BC... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ...

Another fact most sources agree on is that the Curia Hostilia was located on the north side of the Comitium^[5]. It is believed that the circular set of stairs of the Comitium to the Curia. With regard to the Curia’s location, Stambaugh writes, “[T]he Curia Hostilia was built on rising ground so as to dominate the whole space of the Forum Romanum”^[6]. Given its prominent place in the Forum, it seems that the Curia Hostilia was a symbol of the strength of the Roman Republic. The comitium was in the time of the Roman Republic the customary place for the legislative assembly (comitia). ... This article is about the state which existed from the 6th century BC to the 1st century BC. For the state which existed in the 18th century, see Roman Republic (18th century). ...

Significance of the Curia Hostilia

During his reconstruction of the Curia Hostilia, Sulla kept the building in its original location. It was in keeping with Sulla’s “pro-senatorial policies that the Senate House should stand in this dominating position, in view of the whole Forum and above the Comitium...and the open square”^[7]. Of the reconstructed Curia, Stambaugh writes, “This was the Curia in which many of where debates over the fate of Catiline or the distribution of commands were held”^[8]. [It] is the mighty protection of all nations” and “the shrine of holiness and majesty and wisdom and statesmanship, the very center of the city’s life”^[9]. Cicero’s comments emphasize the preeminence of the Curia at this time.

The Curia Julia

In 44 BC Julius Caesar tore down Faustus’ reconstructed Curia in order to make way for his own Forum ^[10]. However, the work on Caesar’s new forum was interrupted by his assassination in that same year. The project was eventually completed by Caesar’s adopted son Augustus in 29 BC^[11]. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC - 40s BC - 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s Years: 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC 45 BC 44 BC 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC... For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation). ... Faustus Cornelius Sulla (78 BC-47 BC) was a Roman senator. ... For other persons named Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). ... Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus becomes Roman Consul for the fifth time. ...

From AD 81 to 96 the Curia Julia was restored under Domitian. In AD 283, this Curia was destroyed by the fire of emperor Carinus^[12]. From AD 284 to AD 305, the Curia was then rebuilt by Diocletian. It is the remnants of Diocletian’s building that we see today. In AD 412, the Curia was restored again, this time by Urban Prefect Flavius Annius Eucharius Epiphanius. Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 0s BC - 0s - 10s - 20s - 30s - 40s - 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s - 100s Years: 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 Events Domitian succeeds his brother Titus Flavius as emperor of the Roman Empire. ... For other uses, see number 96. ... Titus Flavius Domitianus (24 October 51 – 18 September 96), commonly known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor of the gens Flavia. ... Events December 17 - Pope Gaius succeeds Pope Eutychian December - Numerian was proclaimed Roman emperor by his soldiers. ... Marcus Aurelius Carinus, Roman emperor, 283 - July, 285, was the elder son of the emperor Carus, on whose accession he was appointed governor of the western portion of the empire. ... For other uses, see number 284. ... Events May 1 - Diocletian and Maximian, emperors of Rome, retire from office. ... Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (c. ... Events The Visigoths move into Gaul, led by Alarics brother Ataulf. ... Praetorian prefect (Latin Praefectus praetorio) was the constant title of a high office in the Roman state that changed fundamentally in nature. ...

Conversion to church

The restored Curia

In AD 630, the Curia was converted into the Church of St. Hadrian by Pope Honorius I. This saved the building from being used as a source for building materials, just as it did for the Pantheon and the Baths of Diocletian. Between 1935 and 1938, under Mussolini, the Church of St. Hadrian was deconsecrated and restored to show its ancient form. Download high resolution version (960x1280, 291 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (960x1280, 291 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Events Muhammad captures Mecca (January). ... Saint Adrian or Hadrian of Nicomedia was a Herculian Guard of the Roman Emperor Galerius Maximian. ... Honorius I (died October 12, 638) was pope from 625 to 638. ... Facade of the Pantheon The Pantheon (Latin Pantheon[1], from Greek Πάνθεον Pantheon, meaning Temple of all the gods) is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities of the seven planets in the state religion of Ancient Rome. ... The basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, built in the tepidarium of the baths The church of San Bernardo alle Terme recycled an old circular tower at the southwestern corner of the perimeter wall of the baths, one of four towers defining its grounds. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ...

Description of the Curia Julia

The exterior of the Curia Julia features brick-faced concrete with a huge buttress at each angle. The lower part of the front wall was decorated with slabs of marble. The upper part was covered with stucco imitation of white marble blocks. A single flight of steps leads up the bronze doors. The current bronze doors are modern replicas; the original bronze doors were transferred to the Basilica of St. John Lateran by Pope Alexander VII in 1660^[13]. For other uses, see Brick (disambiguation). ... This article is about the construction material. ... For other uses, see Marble (disambiguation). ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... The late Baroque façade of the Basilica of St. ... Alexander VII, né Fabio Chigi (February 13, 1599 – May 22, 1667) was Pope from April 7, 1655 until his death in 1667. ... // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ...

Interestingly enough, a coin was found within the doors during their transfer.^{[citation needed]} This coin gave archaeologists valuable insight into the original appearance of the Curia Julia, especially the prominence of its chalcidicum or portico. Such a portico would have been a prominent feature of the exterior of the Curia Julia during ancient times. Look up Appendix:Architectural glossary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Categories: Architectural elements | Stub ...

The interior of the Curia Julia is fairly austere. The hall is 25.20 meters long by 17.61 meters wide. There are three broad steps that could have fitted five rows of chairs, or a total of about three hundred senators^[14]. The walls are stripped, but originally were veneered in marble two-thirds of the way up. The two main features of the interior of the Curia Julia are its “Altar of Victory” and its striking floor.

At the far end of the Curia’s hall could be found the “Altar of Victory”^[15]. It consisted of a statue of Victoria, the personification of victory, standing on a globe, extending a wreath. This altar was placed in the Curia by Augustus to celebrate Rome’s military prowess, and more specifically his own victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. The altar was removed in the 4th century as part of a general backlash against the pagan traditions of ancient Rome.^[16] Victoria on the reverse of this coin by Constantine II. In Roman mythology, Victoria was the personification/Goddess of victory. ... This article is about a spherical model of the Earth, or similar. ... Look up wreath in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Combatants Octavian Mark Antony, Cleopatra VII of Egypt Commanders Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Mark Antony Strength 260 warships, mostly liburnian vessels 220 warships, mostly quinqueremes and 60 egyptian warships Casualties Unknown Almost all of Antonys fleet The Battle of Actium was a naval battle of the Roman Civil War between... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC...

The other main feature of the Curia’s interior, the floor, is the prominent exception to the colorless interior of the Curia Julia. Featured on the floor is the Roman art technique of opus sectile, in which materials are cut and inlaid into walls and floors in order to make pictures of patterns. It is described by Claridge as “stylized rosettes in squares alternate with opposed pairs of entwined cornucopias in rectangles, all worked in green and red porphyry on backgrounds of Numidian yellow Phrygian purple”^[17]. Opus sectile refers to an art technique popularized in Rome where materials were cut and inlaid into walls and floors to make a picture or pattern. ...

Significance of the Curia Julia

In his Res Gestae, Augustus writes of the project: “I built the Senate House... with the power of the state entirely in my hands by universal consent, I extinguished the flames of civil wars, and then relinquished my control, transferring the Republic back to the authority of the Senate and the Roman people. For this service I was named Augustus by a decree of the Senate”^[18]. Unfortunately such a relinquishment of power was truer in word than in deed and the construction of the Curia Julia coincided with the end of Republican Rome. Res Gestae Divi Augusti, (Latin: The Deeds of the Divine Augustus) is the funerary inscription of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, giving a first-person record of his life and accomplishments. ...

In the past, the Curia Hostilia and Comitium “were oriented by the cardinal points of the compass, which may have marked them out as specially augerated space and at any rate set them off obliquely from the Forum rectangle that formed over the centuries”. Breaking with tradition, the Curia Julia was reoriented by Julius Caesar “on more ‘rational’ lines, squaring it up with the rectangular lines of the Forum and even more closely with his new forum, to which the new Senate House formed an architectural appendage more in keeping with the Senate’s increasing subordination”. The loss of the power by the Roman Senate during the Imperial Period is reflected by the Curia Julia’s less prominent location and orientation.^[19] The Basilica Julia, was a large, ornate, public building used for meetings and other official business during the early Roman Empire. ...

Although they were designed to serve the same function, the relationship between the Curia Hostilia and the Curia Julia is far more complex then mere succession. In fact, there could hardly be a better illustration of the changing role of the Roman Senate than a comparison of the positioning of the Curia Hostilia and the Curia Julia. While the prominence of the former reflects the strength of the Republic, the rather inconspicuous location of the latter conveys the enervation of the Senate with the rise of the Empire. That is not to say that the two buildings are without similarities. Both the Curia Hostilia’s Tabula Valeria and the Curia Julia’s altar of Victory in the Curia Julia, attest to the enduring preeminence of Rome’s military, despite the changing role of the Senate. By comparing and contrasting the two Curiae one is able to gain a surprisingly informative glimpse into classical Rome. Not only in terms of the Senate, but in terms of the wider political climate as well.

Works Cited

• Aicher, Peter J. Rome Alive: A Source-Guide to the Ancient City. Wauconda, Illinois: Bolchazy-Carducci, 2004.
• Claridge, Amanda. Rome. An Oxford Archaeological Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Platner, Samuel Ball and Thomas Ashby (ed.). A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. London: Oxford University Press, 1929.
• Stambaugh, John E. The Ancient Roman City. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1988.
• Richardson, Lawrence. A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1992.
• University of California. Digital Roman Forum. Retrieved 10 March, 2007. University of California, Los Angeles, 2005.
• http://dlib.etc.ucla.edu/projects/Forum

References

External links

• http://dlib.etc.ucla.edu/projects/Forum/reconstructions/CuriaIulia_1
• Livius.org: Curia Julia