In ancient Rome, the Rostres (or platform with the harangues) were used to the magistrates and for the speakers to address itself to crowd. This name was given to them in 338 av. J. - C., when the consul Caïus Maenius battitjkla the platform of the Comitium (the Place of the Comices located in front of the Curie where met the people to elect his magistrates) with the spurs (rostra) taken with the enemy ships of the volsque port city of Antium.

As of 54 av. J. - C., Jules César, anxious to mark the town of its print, started, with the assistance of Cicéron and others combined, to acquire grounds close to the forum romanum. This fact is announced by Cicéron in a letter to his/her friend Atticus (Att.IV, 16,8). In 44 av. J.C it made move Rostres of about fifty meters towards south-west with the site of a platform which existed already in front of the temple of the Harmony. It is on this platform that its bored body of blows was exposed on March 20th, 44. Members of Cicéron, assassinated on December 7th, 43 on the order of Marc-Antoine, were also exposed there. Plutarque wrote on this occasion (in the Life of Cicéron , 48,1; 3-4): “ According to the order of Antoine, one cut the head and the hands to him, these hands with which he had written Philippiques' ”.

Rostres are located on the Roman Forum, between the arc of Tibère, and the column of Phocas.

See too

Bonds Internet

• Rostres
• Cicéron