Pompeii Forum | Explore the Political and Religious Fulcrum of Pompeii

The Temple of Jupiter (equivalent to the Greek God Zeus) was the central temple of Pompeii standing on the northern side of the Forum. It was built around 150 BC and holds the significance of replacing the cult of Apollo with Roman God Jupiter as the central deity of Pompeii. The Temple of Jupiter was also a site of worship for Minerva and Juno (the Roman versions of Greek Goddesses Athens and Hera).

The Temple of Apollo is seated in a sacred site to the north of the Basilica on the western side of the Forum. The temple was originally built in the 5th century BC by the Etruscans and remained the patron deity of commerce and trade in Pompeii until the cult of Jupiter began through Roman influence. The Temple of Apollo was intensely damaged in the 62 AD earthquake and also reconstructed before Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Pompeii Basilica was a civil and apolitical centre that was built somewhere around 120 BC. It stood on the western side of the Forum measuring 24 meters by 64 meters. Initially functioning as a market, the Basilica was turned into a court with a two-story tribunal in its depths.

Located on the east side of the forum, the Temple of Lares Pulici was constructed as a sanctuary for the outfaced emperor Augustus and the state of Lares. Measuring around 18 by 21 meters, Lares are statues dedicated to ancient Roman Gods, patrons of families and the city of Pompeii. The structure was an open area with sacrificial alters in the centre but most of the interiors of the temple have now perished.

Macellum served as the main food market for Pompeii residents and the neighbouring villages. Built in the 1st century BC, it extended into a rectangular area measuring 37 by 27 meters under the Romans. Many small shops occupied the area with a shrine dedicated to the royal family at the end of the open-air market. Archaeological excavations reveal that fish was sold under a round roof supported by pillars right at the centre of the marketplace. Today, only parts of the central pillars remain where many fish scales were discovered in a ditch.

Dating back to around 80 BC, the Forum Baths are located right behind the Temple of Jupiter. It had separate entrances for the men’s and women’s sections. The men’s section had an apodyterium (a dressing room), a tepidarium (medium temperature baths), a frigidarium (cold baths) and a caldarium (hot baths). Careful attention was given to decorations and storage in the rooms while also having a big bronze canister for heating water. Although the structure was heavily damaged during the earthquake in 62 AD, the current stature is a result of subsequent restoration efforts.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD left the Forum area along with the city of Pompeii under ash and debris. Soon after the eruption, many survivors and thieves rushed to salvage any valuables including marble statues and other precious items from the Forum area. After a long period of desertion, excavation was carried out beyond the layers of ash only in the 19th century.

Pompeii Forum Project is an ongoing interdisciplinary research undertaking sponsored by the University of Virginia and the National Endowment for Humanities. The studies conducted, allow us to get a detailed analysis of the Pompeii Forum’s early history from the Samnite period. It systematically documents the architecture and interior decorations of the Pompeii Forum in order to evaluate and interpret Pompeii’s urban history.