#judaea

Ancient Worlds - BBC Two 

Episode 6 “City of Man, City of God”

TheArch of Titus (Arcus Titi) is a triumphal arch located at the entrance to the Forum Romanum, at the highest point of the via Sacra.

The arch was constructed in 81 AD by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus (Emperor from 79 to 81 AD) to commemorate the victories of his father VespasianandTitus in the Jewish WarinJudaea.

In 66 AD Jewish Zealots started a revolt against the Roman occupation of Judaea. Vespasian was sent from Rome to suppress the revolt. After Vespasian became emperor, his son Titus took over command of the troops. The siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD was the decisive event of the war. The city was sacked, its famous Second Temple destroyed and its vast riches plundered. 

The original inscription on the east side of the arch is still in situ. Originally the letters would have been inlaid with gilded bronze. It reads:    

“SENATUS POPOLUS QUE ROMANUS DIVO TITO DIVI VESPASIANI F(filio) VISPASIANO AUGUSTO” - The Roman Senate and People to the divine Titus Vespasianus Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian

The south panel depicts the spoils taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, carried on litters in a triumphal procession, amongst then the silver trumpets and the seven-branched golden Candelabra(Menorah), carved in deep relief. The north panel depicts Titus as Triumphator,riding a four-horse chariot (quadriga) and shows him being crowned by a personification of Victory.ThegoddessRoma stands in front, holding the bridle of one of the horses. This is one of the first examples of divinities and humans being present in one scene together. 

The arch of Titus is one of Rome’s oldest and most well preserved arches. It has provided the general model for many triumphal arches, like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.