Thread by @c0nc0rdance

I frequently give talks from a 'rostrum' & every time it reminds me of the origin of the term.

The Rostra was a raised platform in the Roman Forum, in the Comitium, that was the center of judicial and popular political life.

Augurs sacrificed birds, criminals were condemned.

The raised platform was built as early as 6th century BC, and in 338 BCE, it was adorned with the 6 captured ramming ship prows (in Latin, "rostrum") from an enemy fleet of Antium.

It was rebuilt several times, and moved twice, notably by Julius Caesar and his successor.

Here's the excavated Rostra Augusti, built by Caesar Augustus.

At various times, this location served as the popular assembly, the congress of the people or plebs, facing the Curia Hostilia (originally an Etruscan temple, then the first Senate house)

The whole site was marked as a templum or sacred space, consecrated to Vulcan, appropriate for proceedings of religious significance such as auguries or jury trials.

It was where great politicians made their speeches: Cicero wrote of his pride in standing on the sacred ground.

Anyway, all of this is by way of apology for my behavior last Tuesday when, upon taking the rostrum to give my talk, I instead cut open a dove and predicted the fall of the current university administration, & called upon attendees to rise up.

I was only keeping with tradition.