The Senate of the city of Rome first began meeting about 500 BC, with the beginning of the Roman Republic. The richest men in Rome were elected to serve in the Senate (These men prevented women from being in the Senate). The first Senate house was, according to Roman historians, built before there even was a senate, by one of the kings of Rome, Tullius Hostilius. It was in the Roman Forum, near some old sacred places where people felt close to powerful gods.


These students are standing on the old sacred places in front of the Senate building

This first Senate building had to be torn down to make room for the entrance to Julius Caesar's new forum, and so Julius Caesar began a new one. After he was killed, in 29 BC his nephew Augustus dedicated it to Julius Caesar's memory.

When Julius Caesar's Senate building was destroyed by a fire in the late 200's AD, the emperor Diocletian had a new Senate house built in the latest architectural style. This is the Senate house that is still standing today. It is still in the same place, in the Roman forum.

 
 

(inside the Senate House)
 
 The Senate house Diocletian had built is all made of brick, although when it was new it would have had a coating of marble and stucco all over it. The marble floor is still there to give you an idea.