Curia of Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus | |
Founded | 62 BC |
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The Curia of Pompey, sometimes referred to as the Curia Pompeia,
The Curia was attached to the porticus directly behind the theatre section and was a Roman
History
In 55 BC, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) dedicated the opening of the largest theater in the ancient world before its full completion. Built from the profits of his war campaigns, the structure was a political statement meant to raise the status of the Roman general and consul, as well as to memorialize his achievements throughout his career. That would be copied later by the Roman emperors when they created their own imperial forums.
The full structure consisted of a large theater section, incorporating a temple, a
Archaeology
The structure is located in an area now called Largo di Torre Argentina. The site was excavated by order of the dictator Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.[5][failed verification] For the most part, only the foundations of the original structure have been excavated[6] and a modern roadway and rail system are now raised above the remains of the curia. In 2012, it was announced that further excavations had uncovered the precise spot of Caesar's murder, marked by his adopted son within the building before its destruction. It was also later announced that the underground excavations of the curia would be opened to the public in 2013.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b Middleton, John Henry (1892). The remains of ancient Rome, Volume 2. University of Michigan Library. p. 68.
- ISBN 0-8160-4562-3.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2. Samuel L. Hall. 1878. p. 551.
- ISBN 978-0-8018-4300-6.
- ISBN 978-1-118-02736-3.
- ISBN 978-0-521-51953-3.