— TIPS

Motishon · 6 months ago

Roman ForumThe Column of Phocas (left foreground) and the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina (left background) among the ruins of the Roman Forum, Rome

In Rome itself the word forum denoted the flat and formerly marshy space between the Palatine and Capitoline hills (also called forum Romanum), which even during the regal period accommodated such public meetings as could not be held within the area Capitolina. In early times the forum Romanum was used for gladiatorial games, and over the colonnades were galleries for spectators; there were also shops of various kinds. Under the Roman Empire, when the forum became primarily a centre for religious and secular spectacles and ceremonies, it was the site of many of the city’s most imposing temples and monuments. Among the structures surviving in whole or in part are the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of the Deified Caesar, the Mamertine Prison, the Curia (Senate house), the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Vesta, the Temple of Romulus, the Arch of Titus, the Arch of Septimius Severus, and the Cloaca Maxima.

Also during the imperial period a considerable number of new forums, the fora civilia (judicial) and venalia (mercantile), came into existence. In addition to the forum Romanum, the forums of Caesar and Augustus belonged to the former class, the forum boarium (cattle), holitorium (vegetable), etc., to the latter.

The 1st-century-BC architect Vitruvius stated that the ideal forum should be large enough to accommodate a large crowd but not so large as to dwarf a small one. He proposed a 3:2 length-to-breadth ratio. It is to this proportion that Trajan’s Forum in Rome was erected early in the 2nd century AD. Commissioned by the emperor Trajan and designed by Apollodorus of Damascus, it measures approximately 920 by 620 feet (about 280 by 190 m) and covers about 25 acres (10 ha). Persons entered through a triple gateway into a colonnaded open space lined with merchants’ booths. The forum is flanked by two semicircular, colonnaded exedrae. Opposite the gateway is the Basilica Ulpia, beyond which is Trajan’s Column, carved with relief sculpture depicting Trajan’s victories. The aesthetic harmony of this space has influenced many subsequent town planners.

Jadobe · 3 months ago

Australian zebra finch

The Australian zebra finch (Taeniopygia castanotis)[2] is the most common estrildid finch of Central Australia. It ranges over most of the continent, avoiding only the cool humid south and some areas of the tropical far north. The bird has been introduced to Puerto Rico and Portugal.[1] Due to the ease of keeping and breeding the zebra finch in captivity, it has become Australia's most widely studied bird; by 2010, it was the most studied captive model passerine species worldwide, by a considerable margin.[3]

Jadobe · 3 months ago

Blue mussel

The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), also known as the common mussel,[1] is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the only extant family in the order  Mytilida, known as "true mussels". Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensive aquaculture. A species with a large range, the blue mussel leaves empty shells that are commonly found on beaches around the world.

Jadobe · 3 months ago

Zebra mussel GLERL

Dreissena polymorpha Retrieval of zebra mussel-encrusted Vector Averaging Current Meter near Michigan City, IN. Lake Michigan, June 1999. Photo by M. McCormick.
Obtained from http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pubs/photogallery/Waterlife/pages/0192.html

Jadobe · 3 months ago

Zebra mussel is a small shellfish

Color patterns vary, with only dark or colored shells or no stripes. They are typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or each other by threads underneath the shells. Although similar in appearance to the quagga mussel, the two species can be easily distinguished. When placed on a surface zebra mussels are stable on their flattened underside while quagga mussels, lacking a flat underside, will fall over.