Editing Roman Forum (section)

====Roman historical tradition====

According to Roman historical tradition, the Forum's beginnings are connected with the alliance between [[Romulus]], the first king of Rome controlling the [[Palatine Hill]], and his rival, [[Titus Tatius]], who occupied the [[Capitoline Hill]]. An alliance formed after combat had been halted by the prayers and cries of the [[Sabine]] women. Because the valley lay between the two settlements, it was the designated place for the two peoples to meet. Since the early Forum area included pools of stagnant water, the most easily accessible area was the northern part of the valley which was designated as the [[Comitium]]. It was here at the [[Vulcanal]] that, according to the story, the two parties laid down their weapons and formed an alliance.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Roman Forum and the Palatine According to the Latest Discoveries |url = https://archive.org/details/romanforumpalati00maru |last= Marucchi |first=Horace |publisher=Lefebvre |place=Paris |year = 1906 |pages =[https://archive.org/details/romanforumpalati00maru/page/1 1]–2|isbn = 978-81-237-4314-1 }}</ref>

The Forum was outside the walls of the original Sabine fortress, which was entered through the Porta Saturni. These walls were mostly destroyed when the two hills were joined.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Architectural History of the City of Rome | last=Parker| first=John Henry | publisher = Parker and Company| place = Oxford | year = 1881| page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=D_UAvPBgcDUC&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122 122]}}</ref> The original Forum functioned as an open-air market abutting on the Comitium, but eventually outgrew its day-to-day shopping and marketplace role. As political speeches, civil trials, and other public affairs began to take up more and more space in the Forum, additional fora throughout the city began to emerge to expand on specific needs of the growing population. Fora for cattle, pork, vegetables and wine specialised in their niche products and the associated deities.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

Rome's second king, [[Numa Pompilius]] (r. 715–673 BC), is said to have begun the cult of [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta]], building its [[House of the Vestals|house]] and [[Temple of Vesta|temple]] as well as the [[Regia]] as the city's first royal palace. Later [[Tullus Hostilius]] (r. 673–642 BC) enclosed the Comitium around the old Etruscan temple where the [[Senate of the Roman Kingdom|Senate]] would meet at the site of the Sabine conflict. He is said to have converted that temple into the [[Curia Hostilia]] close to where the Senate originally met in an old Etruscan hut. In 600 BC [[Tarquinius Priscus]] had the area paved for the first time.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}