ARCHES

During the empire, triumphs became nearly the sole prerogative of the emperor, his family, and his close associates. Hoping to leave a permanent reminder of military victories, emperors began erecting monuments to commemorate these accomplishments. One of the most common forms that such a structure took was the triumphal arch. Originally, one of the arches in the Servian Wall through which triumphal parades traditionally passed was known as the Porta Triumphalis, and this gateway probably served as the inspiration for triumphal arches.

The earliest triumphal arches were free-standing ones not incorporated into adjoining walls; these were erected along the path followed by triumphal processions. While the majority of arches were at first placed somewhere along the triumphal route, over time the arch evolved into a form of monument that began to appear in other places throughout the city. Additionally, some arches began to be put up to commemorate individuals and not just those who had celebrated a triumph. Archaeological remains or literary references attest to nearly 50 triumphal or commemorative arches that were built in ancient Rome, although only 3 of these survive today in the central city.

Triumphal arches were surmounted by a bronze statue of a four-horse chariot (a quadriga) being driven by the person or persons celebrating the triumph. Arches had either a single opening or else triple passages, with the central one usually larger than the ones to either side. Free-standing arches as monuments were almost always put up by emperors, and nearly all the known ones celebrate either an emperor or a member of the royal family. In addition to having portraits of the person being honored, these arches were frequently decorated with carved reliefs depicting scenes from the campaign, such as Roman soldiers slaughtering barbarians and carrying booty back to Rome. The three most famous arches, which are still standing today, are those of the emperors Titus, Septimius Severus, and Constantine.

The Arch of Titus is a single-opening arch 15 meters high and 13.5 meters wide. Located along the Sacra Via between the Roman Forum and the Flavian Amphitheater, it was built in ad 81 just after the death of Titus in commemoration of Titus's military victories in Judea. The arch features several famous relief panels of Roman soldiers carrying away loot from the Great Temple of the Jews in Jerusalem, including a scene of soldiers bearing a large menorah, the traditional seven-branched Jewish candle-holder.

Figure 11.9 Arch of Titus, This single-opening arch was erected to celebrate the conquest of Judea.

Figure 11.10 Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum,

The 21-meter-high Arch of Septimius Severus, located at the northwestern corner of the Roman Forum along the triumphal route, has three passageways. Erected in the early third century ad to commemorate the emperor's eastern campaigns against Parthia, it was topped by a statue of the emperor and his sons in a chariot drawn by six horses.

The Arch of Constantine, which stands along the triumphal route adjacent to the Flavian Amphitheater, was dedicated on July 25, ad 315 in celebration of the victory of Constantine over his rival for the throne, Maxentius, in ad 312. It is composed of a triple arcade 21 meters high and 26 meters wide. This relatively late arch is interesting because its builders seem to have cut corners in order to erect it quickly. This was accomplished most notably by recycling statues, reliefs, and materials from earlier buildings and monuments. The decorative marbles used in its construction are a mishmash of different colors and types. Several large statues adorning it depict Dacian prisoners, which must have been stolen from a monument put up by the emperor Trajan. Also clearly taken from a Trajanic structure are carved reliefs showing Romans battling barbarians. Included in these scenes is the emperor himself, but Trajan's head has plainly been recarved to change his features into Constantine's. On the front and back of the arch are round panels that seem to have been looted from a monument to the emperor Hadrian. Finally, there are other reliefs that, by style and subject matter, seem to have originally been part of a memorial to the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Once again, on these, Aurelius's head has been reworked to convert his features into Constantine's.