The arch of Titus presented 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 reliefs of the wall inside the arch demonstrates the trophies of the great Temple in Jerusalem before its destruction. On another relief depicts the apotheosis of Titus, which 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 AD e., including the menorah (seven-arm lamp), stored in the temple. The Romans have laurel wreaths in a triumphal procession, while those who carry 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 actual triumphal processions that took place along the Sacred Road in Rome. The whole procession is about to enter a carved arch.
The second scene on the north side of the triumphal arch of Titus in ancient Rome depicts a procession of Roman soldiers who conquered Jerusalem. Titus - in his chariot, quadriga, with a winged victory riding next to him, which lays a wreath on his head, the goddess Virtus (Virtuta) leads the horses. Soldiers are also shown there.
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was an ancient fighting tradition: it was a parade, the symbolic culmination of which often led to the victorious commander (triumph) receiving a semi-divine status.
Traditions of triumph are rooted in the founding of Rome. Romulus was the first to celebrate the victory over Akron, king of Tsenina.
Victory in Judea
In the summer of 71 A.N. e. the Roman emperor Vespasian and Titus, his eldest son, crushed the rebellion in the Roman province of Judea and returned to Rome to celebrate this achievement.
Much was at stake for Vespasian and Titus, representatives of the Flavian dynasty, which was not particularly illustrious. The triumph on the occasion of the victory was a joint one for them, and the sight (as described by Flavius Joseph in his text, known as the Jewish War) competed with what Rome had ever seen. But the ritual of triumph, its parade, even the semi-divine status inherent in the triumph, was ephemeral. For this reason, the construction of permanent monuments (such as the Arch of Titus in Rome) served to become not only a part of the urban landscape, but also the memory of the inhabitants of the city.
Value
The tradition of triumphal monuments connects Flavius with the traditions of the Roman Republic. The earliest monuments were columns: for example, the rostral column (columna rostrata) of the consul Kai Duilius (about 260 BC), as well as an early prototype of the triumphal arch, known as the one installed by the Roman Fabius Allobrogic in 121 AD. Emperor Augustus also built a triumphal arch, although he reorganized the institution of triumph itself. Since the Flavians were relative newcomers to the power structure of the Romans, they needed such legitimization, and thus participation in the time-tested traditions of triumph and the creation of monuments made a lot of sense.
The Arch of Titus in Rome is located at the highest point of the Sacred Road. It is also a key point along the triumphal route (through Triumphalis - the road of the winners), which visually connects the Flavian Amphitheater (known as the Colosseum) and the Roman Forum and Capitol Hill. Many triumphal parades took place along this route for many centuries, so the choice of a place for the monument was not random, but rather a deliberate reminder that triumph as a ritual created and strengthened the collective memory of the Romans.
This arch was a posthumous veneration of Titus; it was built by his younger brother and successor Domitian (emperor, 81-96 A.D.). Another arch dedicated to Titus was located in the area of the Maximus Circus, but it was preserved only in the form of sculptural fragments and medieval transcription of the dedication inscription. Recent archaeological excavations (2015) at the Maximus Circus revealed previously unknown remains of this “lost” arch, including elements of its base.
Inscription
Preserved on the arch of Titus in Rome since ancient times, 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 (dedicates it) to the divine Titus Vespasian Augustus, the son of the divine Vespasian).
The inscription demonstrates public devotion from the Senate and the Roman people (Senatus Populusque Romanus), and recalls the deified father of Titus, Vespasian, who died in 79 AD. This dedication is an example of the insightful 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 honored.
Recovery and current status
In the eleventh century, the arch of Titus in Rome was included in the fortress built by the Frangipani family, resulting in damage to the reliefs of the panel, which is still visible today.
In 1821, during the pontificate of Pope Pius VII, Giuseppe Valadier set about restoring the preserved structure. To identify the parts that were restored, Valadier used travertine, different from the original marble. During the restoration, the inscription on the west side was updated.
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.
Arch of Titus inspired the creation of many modern monuments, in particular the Arc de Triomphe in Paris (1806), Stanford White Arch in Washington Square Park in New York (1892), the United States National Memorial Arch in the Valley Forge National Historical Park designed by Paul By Philip Crete (1917) and the Indian Gate of Edward Lutiens in New Delhi (1921).