Arch of Septimius Severus

Arch of Septimius Severus

East face of arch
Arch of Septimius Severus Shown within Augustan Rome
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Location	Regio VIII Forum Romanum
Coordinates	41°53′34″N 12°29′05″E / 41.892758°N 12.484744°E / 41.892758; 12.484744
Type	Triumphal arch
History
Builder	Septimius Severus
Founded	203 AD

The Arch of Septimius Severus (Italian: Arco di Settimio Severo) at the northwestern end of the Roman Forum is a white marble triumphal arch dedicated in 203 AD to commemorate the Parthian victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in the two campaigns against the Parthians of 194-195 and 197–199. After the death of Septimius Severus, his sons Caracalla and Geta were initially joint emperors.^[1] Caracalla had Geta assassinated in 212; in the practice now known as damnatio memoriae, Geta's memorials were destroyed and all images or mentions of him were removed from public buildings and monuments. Accordingly, Geta's image and inscriptions referring to him were removed from the arch.

The Severan dynasty were great builders of triumphal or honorary arches, especially in the Eastern Empire; the Arch of Septimius Severus in the emperor's hometown of Leptis Magna, Libya was built in the same year. The Monumental Arch of Palmyra is also sometimes called the "Arch of Septimius Severus".