The Basilica Sempronia was a structure in the Roman Forum during the Republican period. It was one of four basilicas to make up the original Roman Forum alongside the Basilica Porcia, Basilica Aemilia, and Basilica Opimia, and was the third built. Although excavations have revealed remains of the basilica as well as the structures that originally stood in its place, none of them are visible from the Roman Forum.
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👉 Basilica Sempronia in the context of Basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek basilike) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name to the basilica architectural form.
Originally, a basilica was an ancient Roman public building, where courts were held, as well as serving other official and public functions. Basilicas are typically rectangular buildings with a central nave flanked by two or more longitudinal aisles, with the roof at two levels, being higher in the centre over the nave to admit a clerestory and lower over the side-aisles. An apse at one end, or less frequently at both ends or on the side, usually contained the raised tribunal occupied by the Roman magistrates. The basilica was centrally located in every Roman town, usually adjacent to the forum and often opposite a temple in imperial-era forums. Basilicas were also built in private residences and imperial palaces and were known as "palace basilicas".
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Basilica Sempronia in the context of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (consul 177 BC)
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus (c. 220 BC – 154 BC) was a Roman politician and general of the 2nd century BC. He served two consulships, one in 177 and one 163 BC, and was awarded two triumphs. He was also the father of the two famous Gracchi brothers: Tiberius and Gaius.
During his tribunate in 187 or 184 BC, he interceded to save Scipio Africanus or Scipio Asiagenes from prosecution or prison, feeling that their services to the republic outweighed any alleged wrongdoing. He later married Africanus' daughter, Cornelia, after Africanus' death. A few years later, Tiberius was elected praetor and prorogued pro consule to Spain; he won victories there for which he was awarded a triumph. After his first consulship in 177 BC, he was assigned to Sardinia and on his return triumphed for the second time. In 169 BC, he was elected to the censorship and began construction of the Basilica Sempronia in the forum; he later won a second consulship in 163 BC.