Discuss the significance of the Forum Romanum and Imperial Forums in terms of urban life and imperial majesty.

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The Forum Romanum, or Roman Forum, was the chief public square of Rome, the center of Roman religious, ceremonial, political, and commercial life. Originally, a Roman forum was comparable to a Greek agora, a meeting place in the heart of the city. Gradually the forum took on a symbolic function as well, becoming a symbol of imperial power that testified to the prosperity—and peace—that the emperor bestowed on Rome’s citizenry. A competition emerged among successive emperors to outdo their predecessors by creating their own more spectacular forums. These imperial forums lined up north of and parallel to the great Roman Forum, which over the years was itself subjected to new construction. Vespasian’s Forum of Peace, the Forum of Nerva, the Forum of Augustus, the Forum of Caesar, and the Forum of Trajan were all constructed by Roman emperors along the Via dei Fori Imperiali (Street of Imperial Forums). The result was an extremely densely built city center. Trajan’s was the last, largest, and most splendid forum.

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