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Arch of Septimius Severus | Rambles in Rome

 

The arch of Septimus Severus, erected, A.D. 205, in honour of the emperor and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, by the senate and people of Rome. The sculptures adorning it are interesting, and represent his victories over the Parthians, Arabians, and Adiabenes. A chariot, containing the statues of the emperor and his sons, drawn by six horse (now in S.  Mark's Venice), stood on the summit. The sculptures represent details of the Roman military harangues, sieges, camps, assault with battering-rams, and the submission of prisoners. The front towards the Forum represents the emperor addressing his troops, the taking of Carrha, the siege of Nisibis. The front facing the Capitol represents another harangue, the siege of Atra, and the passage of the Euphrates and Tigris.