Arch of Septimius Severus

The Arch of Septimius Severus is a three-arched monument in white marble located in the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy. The structure stands on a base of travertine and has a central passageway flanked by two lower side openings.

The Senate dedicated the arch in 203 to celebrate the emperor's victories with his two sons against the Parthians. The original inscription named Geta as well, but after his murder by Caracalla all references to him were erased.

The relief panels above the three arches show scenes from the Mesopotamian campaigns with sieges, prisoners, and Roman legionaries marching through conquered territories. These stone carvings follow the classical tradition of Roman state art, which documented military success through narrative image cycles.

The arch stands at the western end of the Roman Forum near the Temple of Concordia and the Curia Julia building. The relief carvings are best viewed in bright daylight when the stone details stand out clearly.

The inscription above the central arch shows clear traces of later reworking where the name of Geta was chiseled out. This deliberate erasure, called damnatio memoriae, was meant to remove all memory of the murdered brother from public history.