FORUM, the word employed by the Romans to denote any open place in which men congregated for the transaction of mercantile or political business. It is connected with foris, and the same root also appears in the Greek θvρa, the Sanskrit dvâra, and the English door. In the laws of the Twelve Tables it occurs as equivalent to the vestibule of a tomb (Cic., De Leg., ii. 24); in a Roman camp the forum was an open place immediately beside the praetorium; and perhaps the word may at one time have been applied generally to the space in front of any public building or gateway. In the city itself, however, during the period of the early history, forum was almost a proper name, denoting the flat aud formerly marshy space between the Palatine and Capitoline hills, which probably even at the regal period had afforded the accommodation necessary for such public meetings as could not be held within the area Capitolina (see Rome). During the days of the republic the city had only one forum, but under the empire a considerable number both of fora civilia and of fora venalia came into existence. To the former class belonged those of Julius aud of Augustus, and also that of Nerva, which wassometimes called Transitorium or Pervium. Of the latter order the most important were the Olitorium, Piscatorium, and Boarium. Those called after Trajan, Sallust, Diocletian, and Aurelian were probably intended merely as public lounges. The word forum frequently appears in the names of Roman market towns; as, for example, in Appii Forum, Forum Julii (Frejus), Forum Livii (Forlì), Forum Sempronii (Fossombrone). The fora were distinguished from mere vici by the possession of a municipal organization, which, however, was less complete than that of a prefecture. In legal phraseology, which ...