The Arch of Titus Propaganda

There has been evidence to prove the link between the temple of Vespian and the Fortuna Augustus were a tool of displaying political loyalty to the emperor this has been decided after an examination of artefacts such as a marble alter which stands in the Vespian temple depicts a scene of a bull being sacrificed. On the back of the alter shows a wreath of oak leaves and two Laurel trees, which is a symbol of the senates award (which is given to a man who has saved another’s life) which suggests it dates back so the ruling or Augustus, as well as another three statues.

Under the rule of Diocletian, sculpture made a change for the better. An example of this change would be the sculpture, The Tetrarchs. The appearance of these four leaders is different from anything seen before, because of Diocletian’s new form of government. The eyes of the emperors are very wide and cutting to any person looking at the sculpture, with a similar likeness to classicism from the earlier Roman Empire. Each of the

The Arch provides one of the few contemporary depictions of Temple period artifacts.[6][7] The seven-branched menorah and trumpets are clearly depicted. It became a symbol of the Jewish diaspora. In a later era, Pope Paul IV made it the place of a yearly oath of submission. Jews refuse to walk under it.[citation needed] The menorah depicted on the Arch served as the model for the menorah used on the emblem of the state of Israel.[citation needed]However, when the existence of modern State of Israel was formally declared, the entire Roman Jewish community spontaneously gathered by the arch and in joyful celebration, walked backwards under the arch to symbolize beginning of the long-awaited redemption from the Roman Exile.[8]

One of the most striking uses of architecture for glorification of a Roman emperor is the Arch of Titus. Built specifically upon the highest point of the Via Sacra, or Sacred Road, this arch is a lasting monument to the glorification of Titus. The Arch of Titus was built by Emperor Domitian to honor the capture and siege of Jerusalem by Titus and his apotheosis, or deification. This arch is an outstanding example of one of the most celebrated ways used by the Romans to express the honor and glory of their emperors.

Throughout the period of Roman emperors, there were many good emperors who brought wealth and prosperity, but there were bad emperors who brought terror and poverty. Emperor Titus Augustus was one of the emperors who brought wealth and prosperity. He had one of the most popular rules, even though he only ruled for about 3 years. He was, also, nicknamed the “darling of the human race” by Suetonius (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). Although Emperor Titus had a short rule, he brought wealth and prosperity, thus making his rule have a positive impact on the Roman Empire.

The cultural of the Roman Empire was a melting pot of the religious and cultural influences of the conquered societies that had been assimilated into the Empire. The various religions and cultural practice created a complex pantheon of “gods.” Ever larger temples and statues were erected to bring glory and honor to cities and give honor the Emperor. Additionally, cities would host gladiatorial games to bring honor to the Emperor. These events and building projects were facilitated by those who sought to bring greater glory and honor upon themselves with Roman society.

The Spoils of Jerusalem is a very interesting sculpture. This sculpture was constructed in c. AD.82 by Emperor Domitian after the death of his oldest brother Titus, to show off Titus' victory over the siege of Jerusalem (Khan, n.d). The relief sculpture is located within the "Arch of Titus" and it represents the victories of Domitian's father and his brother in the Jewish War (Cartwright, 2013).It is relief sculpture, which means that it is attached to a background and can only be viewed from one side (Sporre, 2015). The original sculpture is located within the Arch of Titus, in Rome, which is a beautiful piece of art in its self.

Emperor Augustus commissioned these sculptures around 20 B.C.E. to be distributed around the Empire as propaganda. This statue communicates his ideology and power. Before Augustus came to power, Roman political culture valued older, wiser men for positions of political power. He decided the Roman empire need to return to the classical idea of an emperor who was a strong, youthful military victor. According to Fischer, “...by modeling the Primaporta statue on such an iconic Greek sculpture created during the height of Athens’ influence and power, Augustus connects himself to the Golden Age of that previous civilization.” Both Augustus of Primaporta and Leviathan Zodiac are both trying to curate an idea of power and masculinity. While Augustus of Primaporta propagandistic in nature, Wiley’s work is trying to send out an innocent but powerful message about how we perceive marginalized groups of

There have been countless duels between two opposing sides in the history Roman artistry. This sculpture relief signifies the classic battle of good versus evil. Time and time again, benevolent heroes find themselves in a struggle to combat worthy yet malicious adversaries. The Roman sarcophagus, a two by five feet marble coffin, is certainly no exception. It represents another division to this timeless good-evil epic, its visual characteristics, emphasis on contrasts, and its extensive array of details give it an identity that is uniquely its own. It portrays a sense of legendary fantasy to the viewer, one pertaining to hostility, violence, and pure anger. The sculpture seems overly shallow due to

14 As Stamper argues, this is a significant aspect of portraying authority when one an emperor uses precedent of Rome’s founding 15 and this is shown by Augustus in commemorating the temple to Julius Caesar as a sign of celebrating his own triumph. The Temple of Julius Caesar sat on an elevated podium with rostra in front of the colonnade where prows of the ships captured from the Battle at Actium were hung.16 Similarly, the public rostra erected at the opposite site of the Forum also consist of captures obtained from the Battle of Actium and these rostra that faced each other act as a reminder of the glories of the old Republic and the achievements of the restored Rome under its new leader, Augustus.17 To reflect more of the idea of power, Augustus uses different architectural elements to deliver them. Similar to the nearby Temple of Castor and Pollux erected during the Republic, the Temple of Julius Caesar had a pycnostyle composition that consisted of six closely arranged columns with

From an historical perspective, this piece is an excellent example of early classical Rome. You can sense the respect and admiration that the average Roman citizen had for Augustus, in the fine details of the sculpture.

In 27 BC Augustus began his political career with a “new policy which embodied a national and Roman spirit” (Galinksy, 1996, 225) and “represented new heights in creativity and sophistication” (Galinksy, 1996, 225). Augustus created a new political propaganda campaign that used art and architecture to promote and enhance his regime. The most fundamental message can be regarded as to establish the legitimacy of his rule and to portray him as the natural successor of Rome, as this is consistently presented throughout the visual programme. Yet factors such as the restoration of the Republic, reviving the old religion, nationalism and militaristic triumph can also be seen to be communicated prominently through art and architecture.

Abstract: In this paper I attempt to admire the spectator’s experience while viewing the Arch of Titus, and bring to the forefront why I find the Arch of Trajan to be underappreciated. I will compare the two by first analyzing the meaning of the Arch of Titus, and then analyzing and summarizing the Arch of Trajan. The source I used for the Arch of Trajan may be among the outliers of most scholars, but I find that I agree with their analysis of the arch in that it was not simply a list of Trajan’s accomplishments, but rather outcomes of his famed policy, unrightfully credited to Nerva, of alimenta.

The Arch of Titus was made in Rome. It was located on the highest point

Rome was the leader in many things whether it be political, economic, or social. Architecture was also one