School dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities . irst edifice of this description at Romewas not erected until b. c, 1 82. It was situatedin the forum adjoining the curia, and wasdenominated Basilica Portia, in commemo-ration of its founder, M. Porcius this there were twenty others,erected at different periods, within the cityof Rome. The forum, or, where there was morethan one, the one which was in the mostfrequented and central part of the city wasalways selected for the site of a basilica;and hence it is that the classic writers notunfrequently use the terms^brMm and basilica
School dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities . irst edifice of this description at Romewas not erected until b. c, 1 82. It was situatedin the forum adjoining the curia, and wasdenominated Basilica Portia, in commemo-ration of its founder, M. Porcius this there were twenty others,erected at different periods, within the cityof Rome. The forum, or, where there was morethan one, the one which was in the mostfrequented and central part of the city wasalways selected for the site of a basilica;and hence it is that the classic writers notunfrequently use the terms^brMm and basilicasynonymously. The ground plan of allthese buildings is rectangular, and theirwidth not more than half, nor less thanone-third of the length. This area wasdivided into three naves, consisting of acentre (media porticus\ and two side aisles,separated from the centre one, each by asingle row of columns. At one end of thecentre aisle was the tribunal of the judge,in form either rectangular or circular, as isseen in the annexed plan of the basilica at. liinmiiLiiiiiJiC. GROUND PLAN OP A BASILICA. Pompeii. In the centre of the tribunalwas placed the curule chair of the praetor,and seats for the judices and the two side aisles, as has been said, wereseparated from the centre one by a row ofcolumns, behind each of which was placeda square pier or pilaster (parastata), whichsupported the flooring of an upper portico,similar to the gallery of a modern upper gallery was in like manner de- BENEFICIUM. corated with columns, of lower dimensionsthan those below; and these served tosupport the roof, and were connected withone another by a parapet-wall or balus-trade (pluteus), which served as a defenceagainst the danger of falling over, andscreened the crowd of loiterers above (suh-hasilicani) from the people of business inthe area below. Many of these edificeswere afterwards used as Christian churches,and many churches were built after themodel above described. Such c
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectclassicaldictionarie
