This
white marble triumphal arch was constructed
to commemorate the Parthian victories
of the Emperor Septimius Severus and his
two sons Caracalla and Geta. Erected in
204 CE, this arch is located at one end
of the Forum Romanum, and was used as
a way of entering the governmental seat
of Rome. It spans the Via Sacra on the
route of the triumphal processions just
before the ascent of the Capitoline Hill
towards the Temple of Jupiter. The Arch
(referring to the whole structure) has
three arches (located inside the main
structure) that rest on piers, in front
of which are detached Composite columns
on pedestals. The central archway has
a coffered semicircular vault with lateral
openings to the side archways.
Like many triumphal arches, the Arch of
Septimius Severus depicts that battles
which it commemorates. This main depiction
has four main panels. The first panel
shows the preparations for war; this include
battle scenes between Romans and Parthians,
the emperor speaking to the troops (on
the left) and the liberation of a besieged
city with the flight of the enemy king
(on the right).
The
second panel shows scenes from the war
against the Osroeni, with the Roman forces
attacking Edessa with war machines and
the surrender of the city. The third panel
shows the attack on the city of Seleucia
on the River Tigris, with the Parthians
fleeing on horseback. The fourth and final
panal shows the siege of Ctesiphon, the
capital of the Parthians, using war machines,
and the flight of the defeated enemy king.
The arch is considered one of the more
preserved of the many Roman architectural
sites, but many of its features have been
ruined by time and nature. During the
Middle Ages, repeated flooding of the
low-lying Forum Romanum washed so much
additional sediment and debris that in
1742, only the upper half of the Arch
showed above ground. The arch owes its
condition to having been incorporated
into the structure of a Christian church.
Septimus
Severus Travel Links |
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