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Why were the Capitoline and Quirinal hills cut back for Trajanās Forum?
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Trajan
Trajan, detail of a marble bust; in the British Museum.
The Capitoline and Quirinal hills were cut back during the construction of Trajanās Forum to create space for two large, semicircular brick hemicycles. These structures, which rose to several stories, were designed to house streets of shops and warehouses. Additionally, the excavation of the Quirinal Hill slope was necessary to accommodate the forum's extensive architectural complex, which included the forum itself, its adjacent markets, and the Basilica Ulpia.12