Ancient Rome: Urban Planning Trivia Quiz

Answer: Forum

The purpose of the forum was to provide a market place and public meeting place for the ancient Romans. It was the hub of the municipium; anything that was significant - worship, debates, meetings, processions - took place in the forum. Of course, the most famous forum, the one located in the city of Rome, served as a model for others throughout the empire. According to legend, it was laid out during the time of Romulus, at the very beginning of the history of the city.

Originally serving as a marketplace for the first cities, the forum was expanded to include other buildings and host other functions.

Answer: Basilica

In a Roman municipium, the basilica was used to hear legal cases or take care of business matters. First built during the Republic Period, the earliest example of a basilica, built in 184 BC, is the Basilica Porcia. Probably the most famous, however, is the Basilica of Maxentius, which was built from 308-312 AD.

Although every basilica was not built according to the same plan, they did share similar features, such as colonnades in the interior and an apse at least at one end - maybe both. After Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, Christians began to adopt the plan for their churches.

Answer: Bibliotheca

The first libraries in ancient Rome were owned by private citizens; in fact, it was considered to be quite the status symbol. As the result of both trade and collecting the spoils of the civil war between Pompey and Caesar, Asinius Pollio erected the first public library in the city of Rome.

It was part of a project that Julius Caesar was working on at the time of his death. Not only did the biblioteca house books or, more typically scrolls, but one could also view statues and other artistic works.

Answer: Thermae

In ancient Rome, the thermae were huge bath complexes that were open to the public; there were, however, smaller baths called balneae that were either public or private. In the beginning, the thermae were baths that were built around a hot springs, but the term eventually applied to the entire complex, which had facilities for a hot bath, cold bath, warm bath, and steam bath. Typically the baths were segregated; men and women would both have separate entrances and facilities.

More than just a place for bathing, the thermae was also a civic center.

The wealthy hosted dinners there, and the building also housed libraries, a food court, and rooms for poetry readings.

Answer: Theatrum

The ancient Greeks were crazy about going to the theatrum, and the Romans were no different, having been deeply influenced by the earlier form. Typically enclosing the theatrum, rather than building it into a hillside as the Greeks did, the Romans built theatrum structures throughout their entire empire - using one of their ancient inventions - concrete! Events seen at a theatrum would include plays and pantomimes. Be careful not to confuse a theatrum with an amphitheatrum!

Answer: Aquaeductus

A channel used to supply a Roman municipium with water, the aquaeductus was a series of pipes, tunnels, and canals that would convey water simply with the use of gravity. As Romans used a lot of water - for drinking, bathing, latrines, fountains, and private households, it was considered to be a matter of civic pride for each municipium to build their own.

In the city of Rome, the earliest inhabitants depended on water from springs as the water from the Tiber River was unsafe to drink. The first aquaeductus was commissioned in 312 BC; by the third century AD, there were eleven of the structures that served a population of over one million.

Answer: Templum

Religion was very important to the ancient Romans, and the time and effort spent in the erection of temples to their gods is a reflection of that devotion. Each municipium had at least one main temple and a variety of smaller ones. Typically the templum was designed with one main room, the cella, which housed an image of the god or goddess, and an alter, where incense was burned or offerings could be made.

There were also rooms behind the cella which were used for storing equipment and offerings. Ordinary citizens rarely entered the templum; instead, they attended services within the temple precinct on the outer grounds of the area.

Answer: Amphitheatrum

When one speaks of public entertainment in Rome, the Colosseum, also called the Flavian Amphitheatre, is the first amphitheatrum, or stadium that comes to mind. Completed in 80 AD, there was a wide assortment of entertainments one could see there - from gladiator fights to mock naval battles to animal fights. With seating that could accommodate over 50,000 spectators, a day at the Colosseum was sure to please! Every Roman municipium had an amphitheatrum of some sort; the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, which dates to approximately 70 BC, is considered to be oldest surviving amphitheatrum built with stone.

Answer: Murus

Of course, every Roman municipium would need to construct a murus for protection. The Murus Servii Tullii, also known as the Servian Wall, was built in the fourth century BC. There are stories about earlier walls that were built by the legendary Romulus, however, it is believed that the Servian Wall was probably constructed after the Gauls sacked and looted Rome in 390 BC to prevent another such occurrence. Maintained throughout the Republic and early Empire Periods, it was the Servian Wall that protected Rome from Hannibal and the Carthaginians during the Punic Wars.

The population of the city eventually outgrew the wall, confident that their superior military units would protect them. Later as Rome began to decline, the Aurelian Wall was constructed.

Answer: Taberna

In a Roman municipium, a taberna was a single-roomed shop that sold goods or services. Some of the tabernae (plural) were located in residential buildings, where the shop owner worked out of the family home, while others were part of a huge complex of commercial shops, like the ones at Trajan's Market in Rome. Considered to be the first permanent retail units in Roman cities, it is possible that tabernae were also used for the distribution of free grain to Rome's poor