Temple of Mars Ultor

I did not originally plan to spend much time at the Temple of Mars Ultor but once I arrived it was difficult to leave. Activity seemed to revolve around the building. Citizens stopped to watch the rituals, veterans lingered near the temple steps, and priests moved back and forth preparing for the day's events. The broad staircase leading to the entrance was lined with people who had paused to watch. Some remained only a few moments while others stayed much longer. The temple sat at the far end of the forum and seemed to draw everyone's attention toward it. Even when conversations shifted to other topics, people eventually glanced back in its direction. From where I stood, it felt less like a building and more like the center of everything happening around it.

 

A group standing nearby discussed Augustus and the promises he had made to Rome. Whatever was taking place, people were treating it seriously. The scent of incense carried across the plaza long before I reached the entrance. Every so often, a stronger wave of smoke drifted through the area and briefly covered the smell of the crowded city beyond the forum. Priests worked carefully through the ritual while attendants prepared offerings. I spent several minutes watching the veterans gathered near the temple steps.

 

Many citizens appeared to treat them with respect. Their presence made sense because Mars was associated with warfare and military success. References to victory, service, and devotion appeared throughout the event. The gathering lasted much longer than I expected. Some people came and went throughout the afternoon, but many remained near the temple steps the entire time. Veterans greeted one another as they arrived, and several families had brought children along to watch. At one point a boy near me tried to push closer to the front before his father pulled him back into the crowd. Nobody seemed eager to leave.

 

Even after the offerings had been made, people continued talking in small groups throughout the plaza. The temple itself remained the focus of attention. Whenever movement began near the entrance, conversations paused and heads turned in the same direction. A man standing nearby pointed toward the temple while explaining its purpose to a younger member of his family. Another group argued over Augustus and whether Rome had changed since he came to power. The discussion continued long after the ritual itself had ended. By late afternoon the plaza had started to thin out. Whatever brought them there in the first place they were still talking about it as they left.