Location of Julius Caesar's Assassination [Repost]
Oct 16th, 2001, 07:53 AM
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Location of Julius Caesar's Assassination [Repost]
I wrote and posted this trip-report before but the links I used are now dead. I've rewritten it in 3 parts with new links, better directions and more info. HTH Regards, Walter... <BR>[Part 1] There really isn't much to see (stone foundation blocks & "concrete and stone" rubble) but if you'd like to see the area where Caesar was killed, with an *excellent* possibility of the exact spot, I've written a trip report of this area. It's intrigued me since my 1st visit, it's unmarked and overlooked by most. The "Area Sacra" or "Largo Argentina-4 Republican Temples" is a 1 block area (viewed from the sidewalk) with 4 Temples (in photo "A" is closest, "B" in center, "C" farthest, and "D" out of sight most of it is excavated beneath the street & sidewalk) <BR>http://wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maece.../ac880419.html Behind the circular one "B" are the partial remains of the Curia of Pompey where Julius Caesar was killed. <BR>Go to http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...es/model2.html At the bottom of the screen is the U-shaped "Theatre of Pompey", the square area (middle) is the "Porticus of Pompey", and above that is a rectangular area with 4 (Rebublican-Victory) temples (left to right A,B,C,D) is the "Area Sacra" in today's Largo di Torre Argentina. The square building in the middle of the back of the "Porticus" that extents into Temple Area behind Temple B & C is the Curia Pompey. (Another view http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...del_candt.html and http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...-birdseye.html notice the (circular) Pantheon on the left-edge-middle of the photo and in the bottom left-corner is the 'Stadium of Domitian" which today is the Piazza Navona.) <BR> Today all that is visible are the 4 Temples with "D" mostly excavated under Via Florida. And the back part of the Curia Pompey (my guess 5M × 20M) |¯¯¯¯¯| and the public latrines which are to the left, behind Temple "A" (on the right in the picture below) both were attached to the back wall of the Porticus. Not an accurate picture but good for a visualization. <BR>http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...s/largo-A.html <BR> <BR>
Oct 16th, 2001, 07:55 AM
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[Part 2] Start your tour (you can't enter the site and must view it from the sidewalk except in May-Oct? when they have Sunday tours) standing in front of the Temples (East side of the site) standing between Temples B & C <BR>http://wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maece.../ac990807.html (the 2nd tree from the left is actually in the Curia site). Below you is a ditch (between B&C-not in photo) which ends across the site from you, at the end of the ditch you can see well-fitted stone foundation blocks (~¼x¼x¾ meter). Now walk around (clockwise) to the SW corner of the site and go down the stairs to view this *corner* section up close. Go back up to the sidewalk to where that "2nd" tree is and a few meters past it to the left you will see the other corner of the base of the Curia which is directly behind Temple B. This rectangle is the back of the Curia of Pompey, remember alls thats left is the podium or base of this building and some rubble <BR>http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...nes/curia.html You can't miss it
, it comes out from beneath the sidewalk under you and is more than a meter higher than the ground the Temples are built upon. Turn around, now across the modern street (Via D. Torre Argentina) and under the ground ~30m from the back wall of the Curia were or are the steps leading up and into the Curia. "Suetonius relates that a Soothsayer (Spurinna) had warned Caesar (before the Ides) that he was in grave danger, which would not pass until the Ides had come. Entering the building (Spurinna was said to be standing by the door), Caesar now chided him that the day had arrived. "Yes, he replied "but they have not yet gone". Caesar entered the Curia, "From Caesar-A Biography": "The Senators rose from their seats. Caesar made his way forward through their ranks. Some of the conspirators had taken up positions behind his chair, which stood at the foot of the Statue of Pompey". The conspirators surrounded him with the pretext of presenting a petition. On que the conspirators attacked. Caesar on his feet now resisted until he saw Brutus with his dagger/sword drawn and covered his face and legs and said to Brutus in Greek "You too, my child/son" and sank to the floor, slumped against the base of the "Statue of Pompey" Caesar died (Pompey's Poetic Justice?) An artist's rendering, not accurate. http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...eypalazzo.html <BR> <BR>
, it comes out from beneath the sidewalk under you and is more than a meter higher than the ground the Temples are built upon. Turn around, now across the modern street (Via D. Torre Argentina) and under the ground ~30m from the back wall of the Curia were or are the steps leading up and into the Curia. "Suetonius relates that a Soothsayer (Spurinna) had warned Caesar (before the Ides) that he was in grave danger, which would not pass until the Ides had come. Entering the building (Spurinna was said to be standing by the door), Caesar now chided him that the day had arrived. "Yes, he replied "but they have not yet gone". Caesar entered the Curia, "From Caesar-A Biography": "The Senators rose from their seats. Caesar made his way forward through their ranks. Some of the conspirators had taken up positions behind his chair, which stood at the foot of the Statue of Pompey". The conspirators surrounded him with the pretext of presenting a petition. On que the conspirators attacked. Caesar on his feet now resisted until he saw Brutus with his dagger/sword drawn and covered his face and legs and said to Brutus in Greek "You too, my child/son" and sank to the floor, slumped against the base of the "Statue of Pompey" Caesar died (Pompey's Poetic Justice?) An artist's rendering, not accurate. http://www.theaterofpompey.com/audit...eypalazzo.html <BR> <BR>
Oct 16th, 2001, 07:57 AM
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[part 3] "Caesar A Biography" written by Christian Meier (Professor of Ancient History at the Univ. of Munich). His diagram of the Curia Pompey shows the Senator's seats on the left and right with the podium (~5x5M) in the middle of the back wall and the "Statue of Pompey" in the *middle of the podium against* the back wall. His diagram also shows what appears to be large openings (windows or balconies, shown as " ° " below ) on each side of the podium. These would be above the ground level (you had to go up the front steps to enter the Curia) and overlooking the Temples behind the Curia. Because of the small size of the Curia, it would seem to be only practical and visually pleasing to have the Statue in the middle rather than jammed in a corner or off-set on the podium. So in the middle |¯¯°¯x¯°¯¯| of the visible remains seems to be the most likely spot of Caesar's death. Using this diagram as a guide for an estimate, it's the best we can do. Figure ~1.5M from the outside rear wall of the base of the Curia which is visible today to the actual inside wall of the long gone Curia plus add ~1M for the base of the Statue. So looking down from the sidewalk ~2.5-3m in from the rear wall in the center of this rectangle. In the empty space above that spot in another time was the floor of the Curia, where the body of Julius Caesar once laid dying. "Oxford Archaeological Guides-Rome"... "The eastern end, which once contained an annex where Senate meetings were sometimes held and where Julius Caesar was murdered on 15 March 44BC, lies under the Via di Torre Argentina. It's back wall projects into the excaved area of the Largo Argentina, behind Temple B". This book also contains an excellent blueprint diagram of this site on pg. 216. "Blue Guide Rome"..."The second temple ('B') the most recent, is circular, and six columns survive, as well as the original flight steps and the alter. A podium (i.e. foundation/base of the building) behind this temple near Via di Torre Argentina, almost certainly belongs to the Curia Pompey where Julius Caesar was murdered". <BR> For more info on the events surrounding that day go to and click-on "Caesar" http://library.thinkquest.org/11402/homestories.html Caesar's body was carried from the Curia to the Forum (~1.2km) where he was cremated. The Temple of Divus (Divine) Julius was built in 29BC on this location. Go to <BR>http://www.capitolium.org/eng/virtuale/virtuale.htm Click-on "The Roman Forum" picture. The remains of the Temple and Altar is "dead-center" and the *top* of that tall white single column actually touches the Temple in the photo. <BR> Now click-on this photo again and it will show a reconstruction of the Forum. The base and the curved section of that Temple survives today (see middle photo in website below). <BR> Within that curved section under the modern tin roof is the concrete core of what remains of the Altar (see top photo). The Altar was built on the spot where Julius Caesar was cremated. http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/7181.html <BR> <BR>
. Figure ~1.5M from the outside rear wall of the base of the Curia which is visible today to the actual inside wall of the long gone Curia plus add ~1M for the base of the Statue. So looking down from the sidewalk ~2.5-3m in from the rear wall in the center of this rectangle. In the empty space above that spot in another time was the floor of the Curia, where the body of Julius Caesar once laid dying. "Oxford Archaeological Guides-Rome"... "The eastern end, which once contained an annex where Senate meetings were sometimes held and where Julius Caesar was murdered on 15 March 44BC, lies under the Via di Torre Argentina. It's back wall projects into the excaved area of the Largo Argentina, behind Temple B". This book also contains an excellent blueprint diagram of this site on pg. 216. "Blue Guide Rome"..."The second temple ('B') the most recent, is circular, and six columns survive, as well as the original flight steps and the alter. A podium (i.e. foundation/base of the building) behind this temple near Via di Torre Argentina, almost certainly belongs to the Curia Pompey where Julius Caesar was murdered". <BR> For more info on the events surrounding that day go to and click-on "Caesar" http://library.thinkquest.org/11402/homestories.html Caesar's body was carried from the Curia to the Forum (~1.2km) where he was cremated. The Temple of Divus (Divine) Julius was built in 29BC on this location. Go to <BR>http://www.capitolium.org/eng/virtuale/virtuale.htm Click-on "The Roman Forum" picture. The remains of the Temple and Altar is "dead-center" and the *top* of that tall white single column actually touches the Temple in the photo. <BR> Now click-on this photo again and it will show a reconstruction of the Forum. The base and the curved section of that Temple survives today (see middle photo in website below). <BR> Within that curved section under the modern tin roof is the concrete core of what remains of the Altar (see top photo). The Altar was built on the spot where Julius Caesar was cremated. http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/7181.html <BR> <BR>
Jan 22nd, 2002, 12:56 PM
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I ran across some website photos that show a close-up of the Curia remains. I told you there isn't much too see. Regards, Walter This photo http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_ima...rgoargent8.jpg is where I mentioned above to start your tour (between Temples B & C). That covered scaffoldings is actually in the "ditch" mentioned above. The "well fitted stone foundation blocks" also mentioned above formed the base of the Curia and can be seen here. They go from behind the far end of the scaffolding then like 3 steps to the right towards that Temple B column in the photo. The next 2 photos are taken from the sidewalk you see in the background. The 1st one is from the left, where I mentioned above the stairs are. Also notice the Opus Sectile design (center-left in photo). http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_ima...goargent10.jpg The view from the right. http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_ima...goargent11.jpg <BR>When over at this section of the site look down from the sidewalk behind Temple A, you can see the remains of the public toilets (white marble) that was attached to the Porticus of Pompey (mentioned above). When seated they had a clear view thru the columns into the open area within the porticus. They are a few seats lying around and notice the shallow trough in the marble floor that ran beneath where their feet would be, water constantly run thru this and it was used to wet and clean their sponges.<BR> I also noticed a "glitch" in my diagrams above in Part 1 it should be "my guess 5m X 20m" with the diagram |¯¯¯¯¯| and in Part 3 the diagram should be |¯°¯x¯°¯| Regards, Walter
. Regards, Walter This photo http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_ima...rgoargent8.jpg is where I mentioned above to start your tour (between Temples B & C). That covered scaffoldings is actually in the "ditch" mentioned above. The "well fitted stone foundation blocks" also mentioned above formed the base of the Curia and can be seen here. They go from behind the far end of the scaffolding then like 3 steps to the right towards that Temple B column in the photo. The next 2 photos are taken from the sidewalk you see in the background. The 1st one is from the left, where I mentioned above the stairs are. Also notice the Opus Sectile design (center-left in photo). http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_ima...goargent10.jpg The view from the right. http://www.vroma.org/images/raia_ima...goargent11.jpg <BR>When over at this section of the site look down from the sidewalk behind Temple A, you can see the remains of the public toilets (white marble) that was attached to the Porticus of Pompey (mentioned above). When seated they had a clear view thru the columns into the open area within the porticus. They are a few seats lying around and notice the shallow trough in the marble floor that ran beneath where their feet would be, water constantly run thru this and it was used to wet and clean their sponges.<BR> I also noticed a "glitch" in my diagrams above in Part 1 it should be "my guess 5m X 20m" with the diagram |¯¯¯¯¯| and in Part 3 the diagram should be |¯°¯x¯°¯| Regards, Walter
