Monumentalized Arch
A free-standing arch, often built over a road, lavishly decorated with relief carvings and statues to commemorate an emperor or wealthy individual. If connected to a triumph ritual, it should be termed as "triumphal arch"
A “monumentalized arch” in ancient Rome was a free-standing arch, typically built to span a road, that would have served to commemorate the lives and/or accomplishments of a Roman emperor or wealthy Roman citizen through lavish decorations and statuary. The term “triumphal arch” has often been used in reference to any free-standing, decorated arch in the Roman world, but caution should be taken when referring to a Roman arch as “triumphal.” A “triumphal arch” is an arch that was built to commemorate a triumph - a ritualistic parade held for successful generals who would be awarded a triumph by the Roman senate after a notable military victory. Although the term “triumphal arch” has been used as a blanket term to describe any monumentalized arch in the Roman world, it should only be used to describe arches with obvious connections to a specific triumph ritual (Curtis, 1908). This connection, however, is not always easy to identify. When an obvious connection to a triumph cannot be identified, it is more accurate to refer to it as a “monumentalized arch.” Ancient Romans used arches frequently throughout their architectural history, but not all were monumentalized - most surely were not. Arches were often used in constructing city gates, doorways to aedes (temples) and other notable buildings, and especially in the construction of amphitheatra (large, oval theaters with seats on all sides) - as can be seen at the Colosseum in Rome. Arches in the Roman world were only “monumentalized” when they were constructed as free-standing structures decorated with carved reliefs, commemorative inscriptions and honorary statues. There are some examples of city gates with style and decoration consistent with monumentalized arches, but most monumentalized arches were free-standing structures. Between literary and archaeological evidence, 6 monumentalized arches are believed to have been built during the Republican period; most were constructed during the Imperial period and were typically dedicated to specific emperors or members of the Imperial family. Specific figures for the quantity of monumentalized arches throughout the Roman world for which we have literary or archaeological evidence are difficult to discern, in part due to the differences in opinion amongst scholars as to what constitutes a “triumphal” or “monumentalized” arch (Curtis, 1908).
Bibliography
Jay Brodzeller, 2022