Arch of Titus, Rome
The Arch of Titus at the entrance to the Forum. Photo by aewolf.
The Arch of Titus. Photo by Nick Leonard.
Relief of the sack of Jerusalem on the Arch of Titus. Photo by the author.
Closer view of the sack of Jerusalem. Photo
Nicholas Thompson.
Relief of the goddess Roma during a procession. Photo by Nick Leonard.
Location map and aerial view of the Arch of Titus. For a larger view,
see our Rome Map or get our free Google Earth download.
The Arco di Tito (Arch of Titus) stands in a slightly elevated position on a spur of the Palatine Hill at the entrance to the Forum. Its religious significance lies in its depiction of the sacking of Jerusalem and its sacred temple by the Romans in 70 AD.
History
Now cleaned and restored, the arch was erected in 81 AD, shortly after the emperor's death, to celebrate the 70 AD sack of Jerusalem after the great Jewish revolt.
What to See
The view of the Colosseum from the arch is superb, and reminds us that it was the Emperor Titus (39-81 AD) who helped finish the vast amphitheater begun by his father, Vespasian.
The famous relief on the Arch of Titus shows the captured contents of Herod's Temple, including its huge seven-branched menorah, being carried in triumph down Rome's Via Sacra.
This event was highly significant, marking the beginning of the Jewish Diaspora throughout Europe. The Temple has never been rebuilt, and all the remains of the original is the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism.
The Arch of Titus is articulated with a massive order of attached columns. The capitals are Corinthian, but with prominent volutes of the Ionic order scrolling out above the acanthus foliage, the earliest example of the Composite order. Above the main cornice rises a high weighty attic on which is a central tablet bearing the dedicatory inscription:
SENATVS
POPVLVSQVE·ROMANVS
DIVO·TITO·DIVI·VESPASIANI·F(ILIO)
VESPASIANO·AVGVSTOThe Senate and People of Rome to the divine Titus Vespasianus Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian.
The soffit of the archway is deeply coffered with a relief of the apotheosis of Titus at the center.
Two panel reliefs line the passageway. Both commemorate the joint triumph celebrated by Titus and his father Vespasian in the summer of 70 AD. One of the panels depicts the spoils taken from the Temple, while the other depicts the triumphant Titus attended by various genii and lictors.
The soffit of the arch depicts the apotheosis of Titus. The sculpture of the outer faces of the two great piers was lost when the Arch of Titus was incorporated in medieval defensive walling. The attic of the arch was originally crowned by more statuary, perhaps of a quadriga pulled by elephants.
The Arch of Titus has provided the general model for many of the triumphal arches erected since the 16th century.
Quick Facts
| Location: | Roman Forum (Foro Romano) |
| Metro: | Colosseo |
| Bus: | 3, 8, 75, 85, 87, 117 or 186 |
| Hours: | Apr-Sept daily 9am-7pm; Oct-Mar daily 9am-4:30pm. Last admission 1 hr. before closing |
| Cost: | Free |
Sources
- Personal visit (July 2006)
- Frommer's Rome
