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Arch of Augustus in Rome
ARCHES Architectural form that the Romans brought to near perfection in monuments and other
structures. The Romans were gifted in the construction of arches, and many have survived the centuries as
remarkable artistic creations of the imperial era.
Early examples of arch-making date to the 4th century B.C., but it was another two centuries before the
honorific arch, the fornix, (pl., fornices) was created. As the art became more uniform and efficient, more
ambitious constructions were attempted, leading to the mighty triumphal arches that are known today.
No precise pattern was ever used in arch construction. Some had more than one vaulted passageway,
some had three. Decorations of all varieties were all possible on the attic, the top part of the arch, as was true
in most support columns. Since an arch was generally built in honor of some personage or event, the
decorative emphasis thus contained images of soldiers, prisoners and portraits of the great figures
themselves. As one of the leading dedicatory styles in use during the Empire, a wide variety and number of
arches have survived.
In the provinces, the Arch of Trajan at Beneventum was built around 114 A.D. and seems constructed of a
design heavily influenced by the Arch of Titus, with many sculpted panels and decorations. In Ancona, a
smaller version was constructed to the same emperor's memory. Another Arch of Trajan was erected at a
crossroads in the African city of Lepcis Magna.
In Arausio in Gaul, Tiberius, in 26 A.D., ordered the construction of an arch in honor of the defeat of the
chieftain Sacrovir in his rebellion of 21. The Arch of Tiberius was notable for its triple-arch construction,
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