a venalia_. The first were
designed for the ornaments of the city, and for the use of public courts
of justice. The others were erected for the necessities and conveniences
of the inhabitants, and were no doubt equivalent to our markets. The
most remarkable were the Roman forum, built by Romulus, and adorned with
porticos on all sides, by Tarquinius Priscus: This was the most ancient
and most frequently used in public affairs.

The Julian forum, built by Julius Caesar, with the spoils taken in the
Gallic war; the area alone, cost one hundred thousand _sesterces_, equal
to 3570 dollars.

The Augustan forum, built by Augustus Caesar, containing statues in the
two porticos, on each side of the main building. In one were all the
Latin kings, beginning with AEneas: in the other all the Roman kings,
beginning with Romulus, and most of the eminent persons in the
commonwealth, and Augustus himself among the rest, with an inscription
upon the pedestal of every statue, expressing the chief actions and
exploits of the person it represented.

The forum of Trajan, erected by the emperor Trajan, with the foreign
spoils he had taken in the wars; the covering was all brass, and the
porticos exceedingly beautiful.

The chief _fora venalia_ or markets, were _boarium_, for oxen and beef,
_suarium_, for swine, _pistorium_, for bread, _cupedinarium_, for
dainties, and _holitorium_, for roots, sallads and similar things.

The _comitium_ was only a part of the Roman forum, which served
sometimes for the celebration of the _comitia_; here stood the _rostra_,
a kind of pulpit, adorned with the beaks of ships taken in a sea fight,
from the inhabitants of Antium in Italy; here causes were pleaded,
orations made, and funeral panegyrics delivered.

CHAPTER IX.

_Porticos, Arches, Columns and Trophies._

The porticos are worthy of observation: they were structures of curious
work and extraordinary beauty annexed to public edifices, sacred and
civil, as well for ornament as use.

They generally took their names either from the temples which they stood
near, from the builders, from the nature and form of the building, or
from the remarkable paintings in them.

They were sometimes used for the assemblies of the senate; sometimes the
jewellers and such as dealt in the most precious wares took their stand
here to expose their goods for sale; but the general use they were put
to, was the pleasure of walking or riding in them, like the