The Arch of Septimius Severus
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Transcript of The Arch of Septimius Severus
Arch of Septimius Severus
Art 221x Fall 2009
Arch of Septimius Severus
A Basic Visual Analysis
Jonathan Eyestone
Jonathan Eyestone
The Arch of Septimius Severus is located in the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy. While
the inspirations for the triumphal arch are not clear, the purpose still stands. The arch is
free standing and has no other function but to be seen. It is an elaborate symbol of power
and wealth, positioned at the center of ancient Rome. The Arch of Septimius Severus was
completed in 203 CE to commemorate the 10th year of Emperor Septimius Severus rule. It
also was a memorial to the victory he and his two sons had over the Pathians in 197CE
(Jazwa). The tower is constructed of a core of brick and base of travertine covered by slabs
of white marble. The Romans, who perfected there mason work around 100 CE, are well
known for their brick structures. Travertine is a porous terrestrial sedimentary rock formed
around geothermal hot-springs. The deposits, named for the town of Trivoli, Italy, are
plentiful around Guidonia Montecelio near Rome. The slabs of white marble were from also
local (Wikipedia).
The Arch stands 20.88 meters high, 23.27 meters wide, and 11.2 meters deep. The
center arch is 12 meters high and is flanked by two 7.8 meter high arches. There are small
relief carvings are the base of the eight pillars that surround the arch, none of the pillars are
structural. Above the three arches is a 5.6 meter high attic with an inscription dedicating the
arch to the Emperor and his two sons (Seindal). The
inscription was made of bronze letters with small pegs
on the backside. The letters were fit into carved letters
on the marble; however the lettering has been lost to
time. The inscription is rather winded as it lists the
emperor’s lineage, a very extensive list of accomplishments and ends with the exaltation. It
appears identical on both sides. Originally both sons were listed, however after Caracalla
and Geta assumed the throne, Caracalla had Geta killed and removed every mention of his
name form the empire (Jazwa). This is also a demonstration to the control the emperor had
over the people. Emperors showed what they wanted the people to see and as such were
able to control the way they viewed things. The proof of the rulers’ ability to control is still
seen today as thousands of people will travel across the world to see what remains of their
structures.
The arch’s main focus is the four relief carvings that give a narrative of the battles
and victory. Each relief measures about four by four and three quarters meters and would
have originally been painted(Lendering). The panels all consist of three registers. It appears
as the story begins on the southern most face of the arch and raps around counter
clockwise (Seindal).
The first relief shows a battle between the
Romans and Parthians. The center register shows an
uncountable number of solders in the kayos of battle.
The carving is deteriorated, but the mayhem and death is
clearly seen. The top row is lines of solders in formation.
The bottom register is constant throughout the four reliefs. It is whit this row there is
hierarchy of scale. The people at the bottom with carts and supplies are the smallest figures.
This indicates that even though they may have carried out a valuable task they were not
highly valued in society. The solders above them in the carving are twice as big. This
indicates more power and in most cases wealth.
On the second relief there are four registers. The
top right corner shows a group of men separate from the
row of foot soldiers. They don’t appear any larger than
the rest, but the fact that they are set apart from the
scene indicates something significant. Men that don’t
appear to be doing anything, fill the next register down. The men are all looking toward the
center. The next row shows more foot and a few mounted solders. At the right side there
is a wall separating this large group from a group of smaller men. The organization of the
solders would indicate a siege. At the bottom the smaller people pull carts and lead animals.
In the third relief the solders have more of a
background role. The top register is two clear lines of
foot soldiers. They appear to be watching men pillage
what could be a village. The walled in area in the middle of
the second register is the center of attention. Men
surround the wall. To the bottom left men appear to be swinging at something. One arm is
raised above their heads, this position breaks form the straight solder figure in the rest of
the relief. The smaller figures are still trudging across the bottom, seemingly oblivious of
what is happening above them.
The last relief shows a mass gathering of men on
the top, a middle row with a few men not very clearly
defined, and the devoted line of smaller men with their
supplies at the bottom. The large group at the top doesn’t
look like solders. There are no helmets, weapons or
shields. The heads are all turned toward the right at what looks like a few small buildings. It
could be the men returning home with victory. The men in the middle register are solders;
their weapons and shield clearly visible. The sparse view of the scene with small groupings of
men around the corners gives the appearance of a battle field. The solders are taking the
last of the prisoners and the remains are barren land.
Although the there is a noticeable amount of damage to the arch, it is very well
preserved. In medieval times a church was build around the arch; this greatly helped the
preservation. Even after the church was deconstructed the site was still considered sacred
and the arch was not torn down (Seindal). The greatest lost to the structure is
the missing quadriga, a chariot with four horses. The only thing left from the
quadriga are Roman coins that show it atop the Arch of Septimius Severus (Lendering). The
Arch has survived hundreds of ruler’s, countless battles, invasions, and wars, vastly changing
landscapes, and the elements of time and nature; this is truly a testament to the power
Septimius Severus held.
Works Cited
Jazwa, Kyle. "Dartmouth Foreign Study Program in Rome 2005". Dartmouth College.
September 27, 2009.
<http://www.dartmouth.edu/~classics/rome2005/updates/week9_10/nov22.html>.
Lendering, Jona. "Rome: Arch of Severus 1". Livius.org. September 27, 2009
<http://www.livius.org/ro-rz/rome/rome_arch_severus1.html>.
Seindal, René. "Arch of Septimius Severus". Photo Archive. September 27, 2009
<http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/161_Arch_of_Septimius_Severus.html#photo>.
Unknown, "Arch of Septimius Severus". Wikipedia. September 27, 2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Septimius_Severus>.