What are some places in modern society that serve purposes similar to those of the Roman Forum?

Answer 1

Some places that are similar to the ancient forum are shopping malls, flea markets, farmer's markets, city civic centers where public buildings are located, and office buildings.

The first modern place that comes to mind is a shopping mall followed by a city's "downtown" area. A civic center could also be included. However, no modern equivalent is available, as a forum was also a place where news was posted and people met to transact business. and hear political speeches. Nowadays we get our news and politics from the electronic media and do business in the privacy of offices.

None because modern cities are completely different. The Romans had two types of forum. The forum civilium and the forum venalium. The former was the civic centre and the latter was a commercial forum, or market. Therefore, the forum civilium was a bit like a city centre. However, its features were very different than those of a modern city centre. The forum civilium had a senate house, a meeting place for the assembly of the people, an area for public speeches, the courts, the offices of the administrators, important temples and basilicae (public buildings). The forum in Rome also had the tabularium (public records office), the aerarium (the treasury) and the regia, the residence of the Ponifex Maximus, the head of Roman state religion.

The forum was also the place where the elections of the officers of state were held and where trials were held.