Arch of Titus

The 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 Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus's official deification or consecratio and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea.

The arch contains panels depicting the triumphal procession celebrated in 71 AD after the Roman victory culminating in the fall of Jerusalem, Although the panels are not explicitly stated as illustrating this event, they closely parallel the narrative of the Roman procession described a decade prior in Josephus's The Jewish War.

It became a symbol of the Jewish diaspora, and the menorah depicted on the arch served as the model for the menorah used as the emblem of the State of Israel.

The arch has provided the general model for many triumphal arches erected since the 16th century. It is the inspiration for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It holds an important place in art history, being the focus of Franz Wickhoff's appreciation of Roman art in contrast to the then-prevailing view.

History

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 the basis of style are considered shaky. The brother and successor of Titus built the arch despite being described as hateful towards Titus by Cassius Dio.

The medieval Latin travel guide Mirabilia Urbis Romae noted the monument, writing: "the arch of the Seven Lamps of Titus and Vespasian; [where Moses' candlestick is having seven branches, with the Ark, at the foot of the Cartulary Tower"].

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. A chamber was built in the upper half, and the roadway was lowered to expose the travertine foundations.

Pope Paul IV (papacy 1555–9), having established the Roman Ghetto in the bull Cum nimis absurdum, made the arch the place of a yearly oath of submission, forcing Jewish elders to kiss the feet of each newly crowned pope.

In 1716, Adriaan Reland published his De spoliis templi Hierosolymitani in arcu Titiano Romae conspicuis, in English: "The spoils of the temple of Jerusalem visible on the Arch of Titan at Rome".

It was one of the first buildings sustaining a modern restoration, starting with Raffaele Stern in 1817 and continued by Valadier under Pius VII 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.

At an unknown date, a local ban on Jews walking under the arch was placed on the monument by Rome's Chief Rabbinate; this was rescinded on the foundation of the State of Israel in 1947, and at a Hanukkah event in 1997 the change was made public. The arch was never mentioned in Rabbinic literature.

Description

Architecture

thumb|Front view

thumb|Detail of the central soffit [[coffers]]

thumb|South inner panel, close-up of [[relief showing spoils from the fall of Jerusalem]]

thumb|North inner panel, relief of Titus as triumphator

The arch is large with both fluted and unfluted columns, the latter being a result of 19th-century restoration.

Decorative sculpture

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. Other sacred objects being carried in the triumphal procession are the Gold Trumpets, the fire pans for removing the ashes from the altar, and the Table of Showbread.

These spoils were likely originally colored gold, with the background in blue.

The north inner panel depicts Titus as triumphator attended by various genii and lictors, who carry fasces. A helmeted Amazonian, Valour, leads the quadriga or four horsed chariot, which carries Titus. Winged Victory crowns him with a laurel wreath. which means

<blockquote>The Senate and the Roman people (dedicate this) to the deified Titus Vespasian Augustus, son of the deified Vespasian."

Washington Square Arch by Stanford White (Manhattan, 1892)
Fusiliers' Arch (Dublin, 1907)
National Memorial Arch in Valley Forge National Historical Park by Paul Philippe Cret (Pennsylvania, 1910)
India Gate by Edwin Lutyens (New Delhi, 1921)

Gallery

References

External links

Samuel Ball Platner, A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome: Arch of Titus
Arch of Titus History and photos
YU-CIS: The Arch of Titus Digital Restoration Project
One Man's Campaign Against the Arch of Titus — and How It Changed Italy's Jews, by Morton Satin
The Arch of Titus history and photos
High-resolution 360° Panoramas and Images of Arch of Titus | Art Atlas