Posted by Shazarch on 18 Mar 2021
Basilica Porcia
184 BCE - Roman Forum, Rome
Archaeological artifact
The Porcia Basilica was the first civil basilica built in ancient Rome. It was erected by order of the censor Marcus Porcius Cato in 184 BC and was named after him. The building was located in the Roman Forum. Catone constructed the basilica to administer the law and serve as a meeting place for trade, despite strong opposition. It stood west of the Curia on land previously occupied by shops and private houses, which had been purchased by the censor himself. Many trials were held inside the basilica. The building was destroyed during the funeral of Publius Clodius Pulcher in 52 BC, along with the Curia. A fire, which broke out in front of the Curia (where the pyre for burning the body had been set up), spread from there to nearby buildings, including the Porcia Basilica. The ruins of the building were probably demolished in the same year, and it was not rebuilt.