The Imperial Rostra

In the early Republic, political activity took place in the Comitium. The rostra was a raised area where speakers would address the crowds of people and originally it was called the tern plum. As the Comitium was circular, the rostra had a curved shape. The Rostra gets its name from the prows of ships (or beaks) put up by Gaius Maenius after they were captured in the battle of Antium in 338 BC, the result of which, together with Torquatus' victory at the Battle of Trigánum led to the Latin states being forced into a treaty with Rome, and the Latin League which had been a political force until then, was dissolved.

 

IMAG0107.jpg	IMAG0108.jpg	The Rostra was repaired and restored many times during its history, the remains standing in the Forum today are from the restorations of Caesar, Augustus, Septimus Severus, and the last restoration, that of Junius Valentinus. The remains at the north end, nearest the Curia date from this period and are named the Rostra Vandalica as the restoration was commissioned to celebrate a naval victory over the Vandals around 470AD.		backimprostra.jpg	backrostravan.jpg
behindrostra.jpg	behindrostra2.jpg			cornerrost.jpg	improstra.jpg
improstrafromtab.jpg	improstraleft.jpg	The original prows of ships were added to over the years with those taken from other Roman naval victories, including those over the Carthaginians at Cape Ecnomus (off the coast of Sicilly).		rostra.jpg	rostra2.jpg
rostra3.jpg	rostraa.jpg	behindrostra3.jpg	rostracuria.jpg	rostratocuria.jpg	rostratosev.jpg
rostravan.jpg	rosttosat.jpg	insrostra.jpg	underrost.jpg	underrost2.jpg	IMAG0110.jpg