This whole exedra honored the fabled kings of Alba Longa and the predecessors of the kings of Rome. Opposite, in the other aedicular niche on the south-east side of the forum, the legendary founder of Rome, Romulus, was displayed. The rest of this exedra was dedicated to statues of Roman Republican heroes. (Unknown; http://www.geocities.com/calivs/vr/forumaugustum/forum.augustum.html, accessed March 3, 2004) (also see attached figure1 - Forum of Augustus Plan) .
However, these veritable halls of fame' full of statues of the Summi Viri were not the main attraction in the Forum of Augustus. Its real claim to fame stands in the center of the north-east end and is named the temple of Mars Ultor (or Mars the Avenger). It was not dedicated until 2 B.C., just after the forum had opened to the public. The temple is described as an octastyle temple having eight columns on the front and seven more on each side with a plain back wall. Each of the columns had grandly elaborate Corinthian capitals, considered to be among the finest in Rome. The temple pediment shows, in the center, Mars the god of war to whom Augustus appealed to to help him avenge his predecessor, Caesar's, death. On his left then is Venus, the supposed founder of the Julian line. Beside Venus sits Romulus, the founder of Rome, on the right, Fortuna and a seated Roma. In each corner we find personifications of the Palatine hill and the river Tiber, two geographical aspects dear to Rome, as one is the lifeblood and the other is where Rome was begun. Inside the temple, the single cella was divided into a nave and two aisles with internal columns, and the ceiling was coffered. The whole temple is raised, and as Augustus loved to cover everything with marble it too had a marble fazade. In the middle of the piazza there was a large statue of four horses drawing a chariot with Augustus in it, presumably to some military victory.
