The Forum of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius' huge crater looming in the background. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. and buried the city, preserving an unusually accurate look at Roman life, and death, in the first century. (Photo by M. Markowski)

During the last couple of centuries, painstaking digging at Pompeii has restored a picture of Roman life. The burial in hot ash has remarkably presevered most artifacts except the clay-tile roofs.

The Forum, a central public area of most Roman cities, provided many uses for the people. Politicians could mount the Rostrum (6 ft. high stone platform, rear and center of the photo). and inform citizens of his ideas. Certain days were set aside to use the square as an open market for everyone.

Or, when major events came up, people would naturally congregate in the Forum to talk about them, learn what others thought, decide what to do, or simply to spout off. The concept of free speech was usually respected here, within limits -- treason could always get a Roman into serious trouble, while insane speakers might be left to themselves, or run out of town by the crowd.

Generally, it was THE place for Romans to gather informally and hear the latest gossip, or to marvel at the statues to gods and governors, temples and guild-halls. It was the public show-place, and the colonaded, shaded sidewalks attracted people to relax in civic gossip for hours.

The name of our student newspaper reflects the Forum in its hope for freely trading informal information, for disseminating important news, for spreading what was new in the worlds of arts, entertainment and foods, and for generally showing the character of the local population.