Forum Holitorium
A marketplace selling vegetables, oils, grains, and herbs located on the Tiber River next to the Forum Boarium
The Forum Holitorium (forum=“market,” holitorium=“vegetable”) was the produce market of ancient Rome. The Forum Holitorium was located along the Tiber, north of the Forum Boarium and south of the Circus Flaminius (Frischer, 2008). As with the Forum Boarium, the Forum Holitorium likely got its name from the produce market that originally occupied the area, but as Rome developed the area was used for a variety of both religious and commercial activities including, but not limited to, the sale of produce. The Forum Holitorium was also a central point in Rome as it was situated on the Vicus Iugarius, a major street that connected the Forum Romanum to the Forum Holitorium, the Forum Boarium, and the porta Carmentalis (Platner & Ashby, 1929). The Forum Holitorium was also situated along the main route used during a triumph (an honorific parade awarded to extraordinary generals after military conquests), making it an important part of the urban landscape of Rome. The Forum Holitorium was also a main site for religious activity, and included three significant temples (aedes) and sanctuaries (templa): the Temple of Janus (Aedis Iani), the Temple of Spes (Aedis Spei), and the Temple of Juno Sospita (Aedis Iuno Sospita) - all likely dedicated between the first and second centuries BCE. Also like the Forum Boarium, the Forum Holitorium was often subject to fires and floods which made frequent maintenance and rebuilding of temples and other buildings a necessity (Coarelli, 2014).
Bibliography
Latin Dictionary Entries
Forum - Perseus Digital Library
Holitorius - Perseus Digital Library
Jay Brodzeller, 2022