When the orators on the Rostra faced north towards the Curia to speak, the Graecostatsis was aligned along a hemicircle believed to have been the outer footprint of the Comitium amphitheater, removed when a moratorium against permanent theatre was placed on the city.

Many historians believe that the Rostra maintained its location in the Comitium during varied restorations and construction, as that platform was a permanent fixture of Roman politics and held in an honored and elevated status, while the Graecostasis was presumed to be a simple wooden structure.

A theory has been put forth that the finale phase of the structure was constructed of stone and concrete and is visible in the topmost layer, directly beneath the contemporary ground level, next to the remains of the original Rostra before it was moved by Julius Caesar.

The altar, originally a shrine to the god Vulcan, became the first suggestum or speakers platform, similar in nature to the Rostra, and was probably first used for oration by the kings of Rome.

It was for this reason that many of the original buildings were placed upon higher ground and the lower level was reserved for assemblies, elections and public shows, making it necessary to be free from major permanent obstructions.