The arch of Titus shown in the photo in Rome is one of the most famous monuments of the Eternal City. It was built by Domitian in 81 AD. e. in honor of the victory of Titus and Vespasian in the war against the Jews and their complete destruction in 70 AD. One of the wall reliefs inside the arch shows the trophies of the great Temple in Jerusalem before its destruction. Another relief depicts the apotheosis of Titus, who is carried to heaven on the wings of eagles.
Description
The relief on the south side of the triumphal arch of Titus in Rome depicts one of the scenes of this event: Roman soldiers carrying trophies after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. e., including the menorah (seven-horned lamp), which was kept in the temple. Romans in triumphal procession carry laurel wreaths, and those carrying the menorah have pillows on their shoulders. Soldiers carry signs dedicated to the victories of Titus. This group is just a few of the hundreds of the actual triumphal procession that took place along the Sacred Way in Rome. Allthe procession is about to enter the carved arch.
The second scene on the north side of the triumphal arch of Titus in ancient Rome depicts the procession of Roman soldiers who conquered Jerusalem. Titus - in his chariot, quadriga, with a winged victory riding beside him, who places a wreath on his head, the goddess Virtus (Virtuta) leads the horses. Soldiers are also depicted there.
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was an ancient martial tradition: it was a parade, the symbolic climax of which often resulted in the victorious commander (the triumphant) receiving semi-divine status.
The tradition of triumph goes back to the founding of Rome. Romulus was the first to celebrate his victory over Akron, king of Caenina, in this way.
Victory in Judah
Summer 71 CE e. Roman emperor Vespasian and Titus, his eldest son, put down an uprising in the Roman province of Judea and returned to Rome to celebrate the accomplishment.
Much was at stake for Vespasian and Titus, representatives of the Flavian dynasty, which was not particularly famous. The triumph of victory was shared by them, and the spectacle (as described by Flavius Josephus in his text known as "The Jewish War") rivaled that Rome had ever seen. But the ritual of the triumph, its parade, even the semi-divine status inherent in the triumphant, was ephemeral. For this reason, the construction of permanent monuments (such as the Arch of Titus in Rome) served to become not only part of the urban landscape, but also the memory of the inhabitants of the city.
Meaning
The tradition of triumphal monuments connects the Flavians with the traditions of the Roman Republic. Early monuments were columns: for example, the rostral column (columna rostrata) of the consul Caius Duilius (circa 260 BC), as well as an early prototype of the triumphal arch, known as installed in the Roman Forum by Fabius Allobrogicus in 121 AD. Emperor Augustus also built a triumphal arch, although he reorganized the institution of the triumph itself. Since the Flavii were relative newcomers to the Roman power structure, they needed this kind of legitimization, and thus participating in the time-honored tradition of triumph and building monuments made a lot of sense.
The Arch of Titus in Rome is located at the highest point of the Sacred Way. It is also a key point along the triumphal route (via Triumfalis - the road of the victors) that visually links the Flavian Amphitheater (known as the Colosseum) and the Roman Forum and the Capitoline Hill. Many triumphal parades have taken this route over the centuries, so the choice of site for the monument was not accidental, but rather a deliberate reminder that triumph, as a ritual, created and strengthened the collective memory of the Romans.
This arch was a posthumous homage to Titus, built by his younger brother and successor Domitian (emperor, 81-96 AD). Another arch dedicated to Titus was located in the area of the Circus Maximus, but it survived only in the form of sculptural fragments and a medieval transcription of the dedication inscription. Recentarchaeological excavations (2015) at the Circus Maximus have revealed previously unknown remains of this "lost" arch, including elements of its foundation.
Inscription
Preserved from ancient times on the Arch of Titus in Rome, it represents the dedication of the monument.
Her text reads:
SENATVS
POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS
DIVO TITO DIVI VESPASIANI F(ILIO)
VESPASIANO AVGVSTO
(The Senate and the Roman people (consecrates her) to the divine Titus Vespasian Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian).
The inscription shows the public devotion of the Senate and the Roman people (Senatus Populusque Romanus), and commemorates Titus' deified father, Vespasian, who died in 79 AD. This dedication is an example of the astute policy of power on the part of Emperor Domitian: he was too young to be part of the military triumph that his father and brother were honored with.
Restoration and present state
In the eleventh century, the Arch of Titus in Rome was incorporated into a fortress built by the Frangipani family, causing damage to the panel reliefs that are still visible today.
In 1821, during the pontificate of Pope Pius VII, Giuseppe Valadier began restoring the surviving structure. In order to identify the parts that were restored, Valadier used travertine different from the original marble. During the restoration, the inscription on the westernside.
Influence
The Arch of Titus in Rome has long served as a source of artistic inspiration. Leon Battista Alberti was inspired by this form when he designed the facade of the Basilica of Sant'Andrea in Mantua (Italy) after 1472.
The Arch of Titus inspired many modern monuments, including the Arc de Triomphe in Paris (1806), the Stanford White Arch in Washington Square Park in New York (1892), the United States National Memorial Arch in the National Historic Park Valley Forge designed by Pavel Philip Kret (1917) and Indian Gate by Edward Lutyens in New Delhi (1921).
