BĂSĬLĬCA

(sc. aedes , aula , porticus — βασιλική , also regia ), a building which served as a court of law and an exchange, or place of meeting for merchants and men of busine . The word was adopted from the A then i ans, whose second archon was styled archon basileus ( ἄρχων βασιλεύς ), and the tribunal where he adjudicated stoa basileius ( ἡ βασίλειος στοά ), the substantive aula or porticus in Latin being omitted for convenience, and the distinctive epithet converted into a substantive. The first edifice of this description at Rome was not erected until B.C. 182. It was situated in the forum adjoining the curia, and was denominated Basilica Porcia, in commemoration of its founder, M. Porcius Cato. Besides this there were twenty others erected at different periods, within the city of Rome. The forum, or, where there was more than one, the one which was in the most frequented and central part of the city, was always selected for the site of a basilica; and hence it is that the cla ic writers not unfrequently use the terms forum and basilica synonymously. The ground plan of all these buildings is rectangular, and their width not more than half, nor le than one-third of the length. This area was divided into three naves, consisting of a centre ( media porticus ), and two side aisles, separated from the centre one, each by a single row of columns. At one end of the centre aisle was the tribunal of the judge, in form either rectangular or circular, as is seen in the annexed plan of the basilica at Pompeii. In the centre of the tribunal was placed the curule chair of the praetor, and seats for the judices and the advocates. The two side aisles, as has been said, were separated from the centre one by a row of columns, behind each of which was placed a square pier or pilaster ( para stat a ), which supported the flooring of an upper portico, similar to the gallery of a modern church. The upper gallery was in like manner decorated with columns, of lower dimensions than those below; and these served to support the roof, and were connected with one another by a parapet-wall or balustrade ( pluteus ), which served as a defence against the danger of falling over, and screened the crowd of loiterers above ( sub-basilican i ) from the people of busine in the area below. Many of these edifices were afterwards used as Christian churches, and many churches were built after the model above described. Such churches were called basilicae , which name they retain to the present day, being still called at Rome basilic he . IMG:6459379820872971714_ill058.jpg: Ground Plan of a Basilica.