The (lost) Arch of Titus: the visibility and prominence of victory in Flavian Rome

Barron, Caroline (2020) The (lost) Arch of Titus: the visibility and prominence of victory in Flavian Rome. In: Berthelot, K. (ed.) Reconsidering Roman Power. Roman, Greek, Jewish and Christian Perceptions and Reactions. Rome, Italy: Publications de l’École française de Rome. ISBN 9782728314119.

Abstract

The Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum has long been held as the definitive illustration of Rome’s conquest of Judaea and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The relief decoration of the plundering of the Temple, Titus’s triumphal journey into Rome and his eventual apotheosis have become synonymous with our knowledge of events and the devastation wrought upon the city. However, the inscription from the lost Arch of Titus in the Circus Maximus arguably contributes more to our understanding of how the Flavian dynasty themselves perceived their victory, and how they used it to advertise their military might and establish their rule as the rightful heirs to the Augustan legacy of conquest and dominion. This article considers the lost Arch of Titus and its inscription, and its role in the establishment of the Flavian legacy in Rome. It argues that the text must be read in conjunction with the other triumphal monuments of Vespasian and Titus – the Colosseum, Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum and the Temple of Peace – whose reality, visibility and prominence collectively gave strength to the claim that the lost Arch commemorated: the exceptional nature of the Roman victory in Jerusalem.

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