Making space for commerce in Roman Britain: Re-evaluating the nature and impact of the forum/basilica complex

The forum/basilica complexes of Roman Britain are a distinctive hallmark of the form that urbanism took in that part of the Empire: nearly square in shape, in contrast to the more elongated forums found elsewhere in the western Empire, and conceived as a unified architectural complex with the basilica integrated into one side, typically with a single monumental entrance and, strikingly, lacking any temples. While the towns of Roman Britain rarely approached the grandeur of their continental cousins, these complexes were their most heavily monumentalized public spaces and they have been rightly seen as the heart of civic life in the province. Although it is widely recognized that these complexes must have housed shops and markets their commercial function has tended to be downplayed in the past by scholars keen to emphasize the civic and political nature of these buildings as settings for local administration, political meetings and legal hearings. This chapter challenges this interpretation and argues that not only were the forum/basilicas of Roman Britain the settings for trade but also their commercial aspect should be given primacy in our understanding of why they were built and how they were used and experienced in day-to-day life. It also explores the implications of this interpretation for thinking about the impact of these complexes in shaping urban life and movement in these towns.