The Hall of Colossus
The Hall of the Colossus was deliberately set in the northeast of the forum, at the rear of the wide western walkway. This position was typically set aside for sacellums (house shines), which are closely related to the basilicas of the provincial complexes, however in this context, they were intended for worshiping the imperial figure.
The area is characterised by vertical development accentuated by its relatively small surface area. The walls of the hall in which the Colossus stood were decorated with rectangular slabs of white marble at least up to the height of the statue, which was about 11 metres high. The use of ramps in the assembly of blocks for the forum and the thickness of the stone made it possible to add a sequence of decorative florid motifs in a slightly curvilinear form. In this way onlookers would envisage the backdrop of the colossal statue as a giant piece of undulating fabric.
Of the few remains attributable to the gem stone decorated statue, the right hand holding a circular form has been recovered and perhaps the left one just beyond the wrist. The finds are carved in best quality Greek Parian marble, as was the case for the statue of Augustus at Prima Porta.
Foro di Augusto, Sala del Colosso
