Arch of Septimius Severus

In the Roman Forum, stands the Arch of Septimius Severus, a monument commemorating the victories of Emperor Septimius Severus. Built in 203 AD, it is named for the emperor who conquered the Parthian Empire twice during two campaigns in 194–195 and 197–199. The arch was raised on a travertine base and is about 23 m in height and 25 m wide. It was constructed using Proconnesian marble for the columns, Pentelic marble for the masonry, and Luna marble for the greater relief columns.

The arch bears two sets of reliefs. The first set includes four large panels on each face of the attic and the second set consists of eight panels that are set into the inner face of the four archways. Near the spandrels of the arch entryway are flying Victorias that mark the victory of the emperor. There are four statues underneath the Victorias that represent the four seasons. Visitors walking through the arch would see these images, and be reminded of the imperial victories of Septimius Severus. The arch also has four main relief panels that show scenes of the Roman wars against the Parthian Empire.

Previously, the top of the arch had statues of the emperor and his two sons in a four-horse chariot, accompanied by soldiers. Evidence from Severan coins shows that the top of the attic used to have a chariot pulled by six horses and two riders made of gilded bronze. After the death of Septimius Severus, his sons Caracalla and Geta were initially joint Emperors, but Caracalla had Geta assassinated in Rome. In the practice of damnatio memoriae, Geta's memorials were destroyed and his image and inscriptions referring to him were removed from the arch.

The decorations of the attic were meant to show the achievements of the Imperial family. The attic was designed to decoratively frame the inscription on the arch, with gilded letters that would be most legible in the afternoon. The arch stands between the Rostra Augusti and the Cuna, representing the connection between the Senate and the emperor. It was erected as a way for the emperor to show his Roman patriotism while keeping traditions alive, following the defeat of the Parthians to legitimize the succession.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons