Arch of Septimius Severus (Leptis Magna)
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2020) ) |
لَبْدَة (in Arabic) | |
Khoms, Libya | |
Region | Tripolitania |
---|---|
Coordinates | 32°38′3″N 14°17′41″E / 32.63417°N 14.29472°E |
Type | triumphal arch |
History | |
Builder | Septimius Severus |
Founded | c. 203 |
Cultures | Roman |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1928 |
Archaeologists | Giacomo Guidi |
Condition | Restored to original state |
Arab States |
The Arch of Septimius Severus is a
Context
The Emperor Septimius Severus (r. 193–211) ruled through a period of architectural revival. He was the first Emperor born in the provinces since Hadrian and Trajan. He was popular for his military successes, especially those over the Parthian Empire from 194 to 195. He had been declared emperor by his troops. With the military success of the Emperor came a dramatic building program in Rome as well as in his city of birth, Leptis Magna, which is now a World Heritage Site. Part of his building programs, erected to celebrate the triumph of the Parthian victories, were two arches in Rome as well as one in Leptis Magna.
While the exact date is not agreed upon, it is generally accepted that the Arch of Septimius Severus at Leptis Magna was erected on the occasion of the Severus' African tour in 203.
Description
The central arch is made of a limestone core and a marble facing featured elaborately decorated panels. There are four primary frieze panels, depicting the imperial family in scenes of the triumph, procession, sacrifice, and Concordia Augustorum. Other areas are decorated with ornate deeply drilled floral and other ornaments.
Beyond the central
The northeast frieze, facing the rival city of Leptis, Oea, depicts the
To legitimate their rule, the Severans assimilated themselves to the Antonines, the most recent dynasty to occupy the throne, therefore elements of their imperial arts perfectly attribute to his dynastic intentions. Although typical triumphal scenes depict a slave or Victory holding a crown above the victor, there is none present; instead, the chariot is decorated with images of Cyble, Hercules and Venus. The divine iconography aligns a contemporary scene with the divine, a symbolic program used by emperors such as Trajan as well as the alignment of both Roman and eastern deities. The triumph is preceded by togatus accompanied by female captives.
A similar pictorial program is followed on the other relief friezes. The costuming is deeply drilled as to show the definition of the folding with little attention paid to the body forms underneath. While elements of the arch are “severan baroque” they do not adhere to the baroque ideology of motion. The other reliefs depict ritual and civic activities involving the family. This seeks to show the succession of the family, as well as the military successes against the Parthians. The repetition of captives shows the significance of the victories and the approval of the gods. Both Roman and Provincial gods are present in the relief scenes, seeking to declare the role the Severans would play in Rome and their desire to aid the Provinces.
Excavation
The Arch of Septimius Severus at Leptis Magna was discovered in ruins in 1928, and pieced back together by archaeologists.[1] When Giacomo Guidi found the arch, it was completely fragmented, showing only the base structure, buried underneath the sand. It needed extensive excavation and reconstruction.
See also
References
- ^ a b "The Emperor from Africa". AramcoWorld. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- ^ "Arch of Septimius Severus at Lepcis Magna (203-209 CE)". Judaism and Rome. 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
- "Lepcis Magna, Arch of Septimius Severus", Livius.org
- Entry in Encyclopedia of the History of Classical Archaeology, p. 70, ed. Nancy Thomson de Grummond, 2015 edn (1996 1st ed.), Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9781134268542
Further reading
- Asante, Molefi Kete, and Shanza Ismail, “Rediscovering the ‘Lost’ Roman Caesar: Septimius Severus the African and Eurocentric Historiography.” Journal of Black Studies 40, no. 4 (March 2010): 606-618
- Bandinelli, Ranuccio Bianchi. The Buried City: Excavations at Leptis Magna. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1966.
- Kleiner, Diana E. E.. “The Severan Dynasty.” In Roman Sculpture. 318–353. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.
- Ramage, Nancy H., and Andrew Ramage. Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
- Ward-Perkins, J. B., Barri Jones, and Roger Ling. The Severan Buildings of Lepcis Magna: An Architectural Survey. London: Published on Behalf of the Dept. of Antiquities, Tripoli, S.P.L.A.J. by the Society for Libyan Studies, 1993.
- Perkins, J. B. Ward. “The Arch of Septimius Severus at Lapcis Magna”. Archaeology 4, no. 4. Archaeological Institute of America. (December 1951): 226–31.