The Campus Martius, Rome

Abstract

The Campus Martius was an area in Rome located on a flood plain in the bend of the River Tiber. A pomerium (a sacred boundary associated with the foundation of Rome) ran to the South of the Campus Martius. This boundary prevented the area from being incorporated into the city proper and meant that a number of activities and building projects that were seen as unsuitable for the city centre could be accommodated in this area. The military could also use this area as it was outside the city limits. During the Empire the pomerium was extended northwards, thereby allowing for further urbanisation in the southern Campus. The variety of buildings in the Campus Martius is particularly interesting. As the area was not regarded as part of the city proper, a greater flexibility was allowed when it came to building design, materials and ultimately the manner in which they were utilised. Therefore leisure complexes were constructed, temples were built from marble and architectural elements influenced from the Greek east and from Egypt were allowed to be displayed.