Arch of Septimius Severus (Leptis Magna)

Lepcis Magna: Phoenician colony, later part of the Carthaginian empire, the kingdom of Massinissa , and the Roman empire. Its most famous son was the emperor Septimius Severus (r.193-211). This is the Arch of Septimius Severus , seen here from the southwest, as one would have seen it when one approached the city of Lepcis Magna from the countryside. You are looking along the Cardo to the northeast; the arch in the distance was dedicated to the emperor Trajan . Severus' arch was erected for Lepcis' most famous son, the man who was emperor of the Roman Empire from 193 to 211. The monument cannot be dated precisely, but it is likely that the citizens of Lepcis Magna started the construction as soon as possible: immediately after their fellow citizen had become emperor and had stabilized the Empire after the wars of the Year of the Five Emperors (193). This is confirmed by the fact that the defeated enemies, so common on an honorific arch, are Parthians , who had been defeated twice by Severus at the beginning of his reign. Had the arch been erected later, we would have seen African Garamantes , who were pacified in 201/202 and against whom the Limes Tripolitanus was built. (The forts at Bu Njem , Gheriat el-Garbia , and Ghadames were built at this time.) This photo shows the southwest face ("frieze D"), which represents a familiar theme from the imperial propaganda: Concordia . The central scene shows the friendship ( concordia ) within the imperial family: the emperor is shown shaking hands with his sons, Caracalla and Geta (the head is a replica; the original was stolen by an allied soldier during the Second World War). To the left we can see the empress, Julia Domna , and to the far left is the goddess Roma. The two men to the right are the praetorian prefect , Plautianus (headless, in a military costume), and the emperor's brother Publius Septimius Geta. Caracalla is shown as a tall young man, not quite grown-up, and this offers a clue for the moment of completion of the arch: in the early 200s, when he was about sixteen or seventeen years old. This coincides with the emperor's visit to Lepcis Magna in 202-203, when he rebuilt many monuments in his hometown, like the Severan Forum, the Severan Basilica , the Temple of the Septimians, and the Port . If we assume that constructing the arch lasted from 194 to 202, we cannot be very far from the truth. Eight years, however, is a long time, especially when we take into account that the core of the four piers was already there. This can be deduced from the fact that it is made of local limestone, found at Ras el-Hamman. The quarries, however, were closed by the age of Septimius Severus, and we must therefore assume that the inner structure is older, and was merely redecorated. This is confirmed by the fact that the limestone was measured in Punic cubits, which had been replaced by Roman feet before the age of Severus. Perhaps, the work was interrupted, and hurriedly completed when the emperor announced his visit. This may also explain the different quality of artwork. Several reliefs are beautifully carved, like the barbarians on the pictures below and the broken pediment (more below ), while other parts of the decoration look like routine work by artists who were certainly talented but no geniuses. However, many details will for some time remain unclear, because the arch as we see it today is essentially a reconstruction. The foundations and part of the structure were excavated in the 1920s, but many parts the decoration were found elsewhere in the city. It is likely that the missing parts are still buried somewhere. So, for the time being, our understanding of this monument is incomplete and the exact chronology of its construction remains unclear. As always, we can see captive barbarians (dressed like Parthians) on the pedestals, trophies on the pier itself and Victories in the spandrels. However, the broken pediment in the upper part is very unusual, and so is the exten