Septimius Severus Arch

The Arch of Septimius Severus is a three-bay monument at the northwestern end of the Roman Forum, erected in A.D. 203 in honor of Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla and Geta. It commemorates military victories over the Parthian Empire. At the time of its completion, it was the largest arch in the Forum. Its foundation is made of travertine, while the superstructure is built of brick and clad in Pentelic marble. Steps lead up to the monument from the Forum, and its central passageway carries the Via Sacra toward the Capitoline Hill. Because it was incorporated into medieval fortifications, the arch has survived in good condition to this day.

On the relief panels, you can admire scenes of the victorious campaigns against the Parthians and Arabs, shown in the so-called map style from an oblique bird's-eye view. These depictions show attacks on cities such as Nisibis, Edessa, and Seleucia-Ctesiphon. The arch zone is articulated by pilasters and columns with composite capitals, whose bases bear finely sculpted processions of prisoners. Other sculptures include river gods, Victories holding trophies, and personifications of the seasons. On the sides of the passageway is a large inscription naming the Senate as the patron; after Geta's murder and the damnatio memoriae imposed on him, his name was chiseled out and replaced with honorary titles for his father and brother.