ARCUS CONSTANTINI
* erected by the senate in honour of Constantine to
commemorate his victory over Maxentius in 312 A.D., as the inscription
in the attic (
CIL vi. 1139) records. The date of its completion is fixed
to 315-316 A.D. by the mention of the decennalia in the inscriptions of
the side arches; and Grossi-Gondi decides for 316 because the consulship
is omitted, whereas in 315 he held it for the fourth time. It is not
mentioned by any of our literary sources. It stands at the beginning of
the road which traverses the valley between the Palatine and the Caelian
from the Colosseum to the south-east end of the circus Maximus, and which
is often (though without warrant) called via Triumphalis. The road
did not, however, run through it, and indeed lay at a somewhat lower
level, though not so low as to necessitate steps for foot-passengers to
pass through (
Mitt. 1891, 92). The archways and the space round the
arch are paved with travertine. The arch is built of white marble;- it
is 21 metres high, 25.70 wide, and 7.40 deep; the central archway is
11.50 high and 6.50 wide, and the two lateral arches are 7.40 metres
high and 3.36 wide. Between the archways and at the corners were
eight fluted Corinthian columns of giallo antico, one of which has been
removed to the Lateran, while the other seven still remain: they were
doubtless removed from other buildings. The sculptures with which it
is decorated belong to several different periods (Ill. 5).
(1) The two reliefs at the ends of the arch and the two on the jambs
of the central archway, representing conflicts between Romans and
Dacians, formed part of a continuous frieze, which is supposed to have
decorated the enclosure wall of the
FORUM TRAIANI (q.v.), and may
belong to the period of Domitian (Neue Jahrbiicher, 1905, 522; SScR
135, 151, n. 17; Rev. Arch. 1924, ii. 365), though Sieveking, in Festschrift
fur P. Arndt 36, returns to the usual ascription to Trajan.
(2) The eight statues of Dacians in pavonazzetto (Phrygian) marble
standing on the cornice in front of the attic, each above one of the giallo
antico columns (all of which bear the inscription Ad Arcum,
CIL vi.
36617), doubtless came from the Forum of Trajan, where similar statues
have been found
(Braccio Nuovo 9, 127; cf. Chiaramonti, 356; Brit.
Mus. 1770). Of those on the arch, one is a reproduction in white marble
(for the torso see Cap. Cat. Atrio No. 21) and the rest have restored
heads and hands. Of the original heads in white marble, two are probably
in the Vatican (Braccio Nuovo 118; Busti 329).
(3) The round medallions over the side arches, four on each side,
representing an emperor in sacrificial and hunting scenes alternately,
have been much discussed. They were attributed to the Templum
Gentis Flaviae, or some monument of the Flavian period, and supposed
to have been used over again by Claudius Gothicus (
PBS iii. 229-251).
But most recent critics have recognised Antinous in some of them, and
referred them to the period of Hadrian (
Mitt. 1907, 345-360;
1911,
214-237 ;
1920, 143-151 ;
BPW 1911, 1239; Jahrb. d.
Inst. 1919, 144
sqq.; Mon.
L. xxix. 177; Rev. Arch. 1910, i. 118-131 ; SScR 217-224),
while Hulsen makes those without the nimbus earlier (
BC 1922, 15, n. 5),
attributing them to the period of Hadrian, and the other four (on the
side towards the Colosseum) to that of Philippus Arabus. It is also
suggested that the statue of Apollo represented on them may be
taken from the Apollo Actius in the temple on the Palatine (SScR 235,
n. 18).
(4) The eight rectangular reliefs in the attic (
PBS iii. 251-268).
Three other reliefs of the same series
1 are in the Palazzo dei Conservatori
(Cons. Cat.
Scala ii. 4, 7, 10), and belong to an arch erected in 176 A.D.
to commemorate the victories of M. Aurelius in the Sarmatian and
German wars. They depict the emperor entering Rome, engaging in
sacrifice, receiving an address from his soldiers, etc.
To the Constantinian period belong: the reliefs on the pedestals
of the eight columns, representing victories, legionaries and captives,
the low frieze above the side arches and at the ends, the two round
medallions at the ends, representing the setting of the moon and the
rising of the sun (Strong, Sculpture 330, 331; SScR 331-341); the
Victories and river-gods in the spandrels, and the eight portrait busts in
the lateral passages.
The frieze refers to episodes in the life of Constantine-his exploits
under Galerius in Asia, his triumph over the Franks and Alemanni at
Treves, his capture of Susa, his victory over Maxentius, his allocutio
from the Rostra, and his largitio; and the damage to the heads is attributable to the reaction of Symmachus (Wilpert in
BC 1922, 13, who is
probably right; see YW 1922-3, 98; Mitt. 1921-2, 75-79;
BC 1925,
82-95; while Wace in
PBS iv. 270-276, attributes it to a monument of
Maxentius).
The legionary signs of the Constantinian period represented on the
arch have been studied by Monaci (DAP 2. ix. 1-23 ;
xiii. 131 ;
xiv. 28 ;
BCr 1907, 55-61; Giornale Arcadico, 1906, 590-595, 664-671;
BC 1925, 82).
Frothingham's theory (
AJA 1912, 3 sqq., 368 sqq.;
1913, 487;
1915, 1 sqq.; 367 sqq.) that the arch was originally dedicated to
Domitian, and that after his
damnatio memoriae it was deprived of its
decorations, but stood in ruins till Constantine converted it to his own
uses, has not found general acceptance (Grossi-Gondi, L'Arco di Cos-
tantino, reprinted from Civilta Cattolica, 1st March, 19th April, 1913;
and in DAP 2. xi. 169-172).
Among the many arguments against it are (1) the existence among
the marble blocks used in the interior of the attic of a cornice block not
earlier than the time of Domitian (
PBS ii. 51, No. 105 a; cf. vi. 207 and
YW 1923-4, 106); (2) the fact that the brickwork in the attic is of the
time of Constantine.
We may note the use of polychrome marbles and gilding in the
arch-besides what have been already mentioned, the employment
of porphyry to surround the circular medallions and as a fascia to the
main cornice.
The latest article on the subject
2 shows that the relief of the Haterii
cannot be used in support of Frothingham's theory. 'If an arch is
represented which stood between the arch of Titus and the Colosseum,
it was single, with eight attached columns.' The whole cornice, too, is
a mass of patchwork, and is crudely imitated in the entablature above
the columns; while the medallions are badly placed (Mem. Am.
Acad.
iv. (1924) 170-180). See also Rossini, Archi Trionfali 67-73; Reinach,
Rep.
Rel. i. 238-257; HJ 25-28; D'Espouy, Fragments, i. 96; ASA 120.
