The Rostra first got its name after the victory of the Latin war when Gaius Maenius, a statesman and general, decorated the rostra with the beaks of ships taken from Antium around 338 BC. The Rostra was first built in between the Comitium and Forum and was later built inside the forum. Its purpose was to allow orators to address the people. The Rostra was a rectangular platform that was 78 feet long and 33 feet wide with pillars surrounding the center of the platform, where the speaker stood. The Rostra was also a temple as augurs consecrated the place. Augustus would later rebuild the Rostra in front of the Temple of Caesar around 42 BC.
Sources: "Coin List." Coin Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. "The Rostra." The Rostra. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2017. Marindin G. E. "ROSTRA." A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Thayer S. "P450 Rostra." LacusCurtius • The Roman Forum - The Rostra (Platner & Ashby, 1929). N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2017.