Arch of Titus, Triumphal arch on the Via Sacra, Roman Forum, Rome, Italy
The Arch of Titus is a white marble monument in the Roman Forum that measures roughly 13.5 meters wide and 15.4 meters tall. The interior walls carry detailed relief panels showing the entry of Roman forces into Jerusalem.
Emperor Domitian commissioned the arch in 81 CE to honor his deceased brother Titus. The construction followed the military victory over Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
The relief panels show the seven-branched candelabrum and other items from the Temple of Jerusalem brought to Rome. These carvings document events that remain central to Roman and Jewish history today.
The arch stands on the Via Sacra at the summit of the Velia, just south-east of the Roman Forum and beside the Clivus Palatinus. The attic inscription survives only on the east face, turned toward the Colosseum, while the west side shows the 19th-century travertine restoration by Stern and Valadier. Look for the beam holes left by the Frangipani tower in the panel reliefs.
The ceiling of the passageway shows the earliest known depiction of a deceased Roman emperor ascending to join the gods. This scene was part of the Roman belief in divine transformation after death.
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