From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Street of ancient Rome
The
Via Sacra
(
Latin
:
Sacra Via
, "
Sacred Street
") was the
main street
of
ancient
Rome
, leading from the top of the
Capitoline Hill
, through some of the most important
religious
sites of the
Forum
(where it is the widest street), to the
Colosseum
.
The road was part of the traditional route of the
Roman Triumph
that began on the outskirts of the city and proceeded through the
Roman Forum
. Later it was paved. During the reign of
Nero
, it was lined with
colonnades
.
The road provided the setting for many deeds and misdeeds of Rome's history, the solemn religious festivals, the magnificent triumphs of victorious generals, and the daily throng assembling in the Basilicas to chat, throw dice, engage in business, or secure justice. Many prostitutes lined the street as well, looking for potential customers. From the reign of Augustus, the Via Sacra played a role in the
Apotheosis
ceremony by which deceased Roman Emperors were formally
deified
. The body of the Emperor, concealed under a wax
death mask
, was carried on a pall from the Palatine hill down the Via Sacra into the Forum, where funeral orations were held before the procession of
Knights
and
Senators
resumed its course to the
Campus Martius
.
[1]
Course
[
edit
]
While the western stretch of the Via Sacra which runs through the Forum follows the original ancient route of the road, the eastern stretch between the end of the forum and the
Colosseum
, which passes underneath the
Arch of Titus
, is a redirection of the road built after the
Great Fire of Rome
in AD 64.
[2]
In the Republic and Early Empire, the route forked to the north near the
House of the Vestals
and passed through a saddle in the
Velian Hill
, now occupied largely by the
Basilica of Maxentius
and the modern
Via dei Fori Imperiali
. As part of his rebuilding program following the fire, Nero essentially straightened the road by redirecting it between the Velian and
Palatine Hills
, creating grand colonnades on either side for shop stalls and commerce.
[3]
At the east side was built under Hadrian and Antoninus Pius the
temple of Venus and Roma
.
Sources
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Media related to
Via Sacra
at Wikimedia Commons
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Temples
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Basilicas
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Arches
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Columns
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Streets
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Other
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