Arch of Titus is a 1st century AD honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in 81 AD by the Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus's official deification or consecration and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea.
This arch too is situated close to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum and can be admired for free by any tourist interested in the history of the Roman Empire. The spandrels on the upper left and right of the arch contain personifications of victory as winged women. Between the spandrels is the keystone, on which there stands a female on the east side and a male on the west side.
Two panel reliefs flank the single passageway of the arch, and a third adorns the vault. The subject matter of the flanking reliefs draws upon the 71 CE. Triumph of Vespasian and Titus, depicting key triumphal episodes following the fall of Jerusalem. In one scene Romans carry spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem, including a Menorah, sacred trumpets and the showbread table. Recent studies have shown these items were painted with yellow ochre.
Based on the style of sculptural details, Domitian's favored architect Rabirius, sometimes credited with the Colosseum, may have executed the arch. Without contemporary documentation, however, attributions of Roman buildings on basis of style are considered shaky.
The medieval Latin travel guide Mirabilia Urbis Romae noted the monument, writing: "the arch of the Seven Lamps of Titus and Vespasian. During the Middle Ages, the Frangipani family added a second story to the vault, converting it into a fortified tower, beam holes from the construction remain in the panels.
It was one of the first buildings sustaining a modern restoration, starting with Raffaele Stern in 1817 and continued by Valadier under PiusVII in 1821, with new capitals and with travertine masonry, distinguishable from the original marble. The restoration was a model for the country side of Porta Pia.
December 03, 2020
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