The arch of Titus is a triumphal arch, which is a monument to the glory of Emperor Titus and his father Vespasian. It was issued in 96 CE. in Rome to celebrate the victory of Vespasian and Titus in the Jewish War. Its construction lasted from 81 to 96 CE. The 15-meter-high, 8-meter-wide and 3-meter deep building is situated via Sacra.
It is a structure made of white marble. The arch is single-pass and has four columns in the Corinthian order situated on the facades. The columns with smooth stems are on the sides, and the columns are decorated with channels on the inside.
The attic, crowning the arch, is decorated with a cartouche with an inscription which is a perfect example of scriptura monumentalis, the Roman font used in official inscriptions. The inscription reads:
SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS DIVO TITO DIVI VESPASIANI F (ILIO) VESPASIANO AVGVSTO
that is:
The Senate and People of Rome (dedicate this) to the divine Titus Vespasianus Augustus, son of the divine Vespasian.
The arch is rich in reliefs in the style of a historical relief. The eastern side is a relief, the only one on the arch, single plan. It shows a procession in triumph. The others are multi-layered, which was achieved through the appropriate positioning of the figures and varying the depth of the bas-relief. On the north side, you can see the glorification and idealization of the figure of Titus. The internal reliefs, in turn, show the triumph of Titus and the loot he has won.
