Walking into the forum, one would see the Temple of Mars Ultor, flanked by two porticoes on each side, which were mainly used for judicial purposes. Behind the colonnade of the porticoes would have been two hemi-circular exedra. The exedra depicted mythic scenes of the founding of Rome, including those of Romulus and Aeneus, surrounded by those of their respective descendants, such as the Julio-Claudians. Aeneus, demigod child of Venus, was said to be the ancestor of Caesar and Augustus’s line. These reliefs tie Augustus’s lineage back, not only to Caesar, but also to the divine. The combination of myth and history created a new nationalist history that linked the past to the present of Augustus’s rule. The sculptural programs on the exedrae made the statement that he is the rightful ruler, given his lineage and ancestors, which is especially important considering the intense power struggles he went through in order to establish his position.

A blueprint layout of the Forum. Image from http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/forumaugplan.html

What one would supposedly see when walking into the Forum. Pictured here is the Temple of Mars Ultor, which was in the center of the Forum. Image from http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/247/flashcards/271247/jpg/picture761318721252771.jpg