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while the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, in the African city of Aea, built circa 163, was of marble, pointing to
the Romanization of the province and the increasing artistic capacities of its architects and artisans.
The Africans erected a triumphal arch in honor of Emperor Septimius Severus, a native of Lepcis who
visited the province in 203. This arch was decorated with reliefs and Corinthian columns. Its depiction of
battles, sacrifices and triumphs made a remarkable archaeological find and differed greatly from the arch
built in his honor in Rome. Also in Africa (Numidia) was the Arch of Caracalla, built in 219 in honor of
that emperor, a gift from the people of Cuicul.
The city of Rome is the best location for the preservation of commemorative arches, with excellent
specimens still in existence. These include the arches of Titus, Septimius Severus and Constantine. Under
Augustus great strides were made in the creation of arches, continuing until the time of the Flavians. Two
arches were erected by Augustus, the first in 29 B.C. to honor his many victories (especially at Actium), and
the second was erected in 19 B.C., a year after peace was made with the Parthians. This one stood in the
Forum. Other early arches included ones constructed in 19 A.D. to honor the generals Germanicus and
Drusus; each stood on a side of the Temple of Mars Ultor. Claudius eventually ordered the Arch of Tiberius,
which was placed near the Theater of Pompey.
Later emperors helped develop the form. Titus' Arch was constructed by Domitian. It stood by the
Colosseum on the Sacred Way and contained a vaulted arch with columns, strong supporting walls and
various friezes, displaying the conquest of the Jews in 70 A.D. Septimius Severus' Arch was built in 203
and stood in the Forum. It was innovative in its use of wide carving and depictions of battles, instead of the
normal classical style.
In 315, Constantine ordered the carving of a triumphal arch, with the Senate in agreement. The result was
a grand artistic creation that in some respects ended the great arch-building of the Empire. Panels were
formed, depicting the battle of Milvian Bridge and the victory of Constantine over Maxentius. The
presentation of his victory was grandiose, as the emperor himself was carved in superhuman dimensions.
The honorific arch was a genuine Roman art form and one that preserved the glory of its rulers. Emperors
were depicted but so too were non-imperial people, as in the arch built in 204 A.D. commemorating the
silversmiths of Rome. See also ART AND ARCHITECTURE.
¤ ARCHITECTURE See ART AND ARCHITECTURE.
¤ ARDASHIR I (d. 241 A.D.) Founder of the SASSANID DYNASTY of Persia in 224 A.D.; ended the
ARSACID DYNASTY and proclaimed himself "King of Kings." Ardashir was one of the great figures of
Persian history, a general, prince, and monarch whose cunning and force of will changed Near Eastern
history, creating the most potent threat that Rome would face in the East. Under the Arsacid system, local
kings were given a free hand in the administration of their territories. Such was the case with Persis, a
province of kings whose domains stretched along the Persian Gulf and to the coast of the Arabian Sea.
The Persis lands were ostensibly overseen by a larger clan, the Basrangi. One of the local rulers, Papak,
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