The Curia Julia as built in 44 BC by Julius Caesar, it was the third senate house used by the romans and replaced the previous curia built by Faustus Cornelius which was either damaged or destroyed by fire. It is located in the heart of the Roman Forum as to put emphasis on the importance of the democratic government of the time. Caesar unfortunately was never able to see the completion of the great house due to his assassination at the Theater of Pompey in 44 BC. Work was stopped and then resumed by his son Augustus Caesar who saw the completion of the Curia Julia in 29 BC. This prominent building would have been the meeting place for Roman senators and officials where major political decisions would have been discussed, debated, and decided on. In front of the Curia there was an area known as the rostrum where the leaders would have stood to address the public whether after a battle or for a political speech. It is called the rostrum because that is also the word for the ornately designed front of a ship. The Romans would take the rostrum from the ships of those that they conquered and place them in front of the curia. The senate house is of supreme significance in the history of Rome because it is the first example in history of a fully functioning democratic society. Being in front of it and among the other ruins in the forum truly gives one an idea of what it would have been like to be a roman citizen and allows you to feel the sense of pride an ancient roman must have felt whether it be listening to a speech given from the rostrum or watching a parade of captures after a victorious war.