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>.