DiscussionLost monumental gate, probably with statues, erected by Gratian, Valentinian II and Theodosius I, emperors. Rome. 379-383. INSCRIPTION:In four lines. Imperatores Caesares ddd(omini) nnn(ostri) Gratianus, Valentinianus / et Theodosius, pii, felices, semper Auggg(usti), / arcum ad concludendum opus omne porticuum maximarum aeterni / nominis sui pecunia propria fieri ornariq(ue) iusserunt. 'The emperors Caesars our lords Gratianus, Valentinianus and Theodosius, pious, fortunate, forever Augusti, commanded that the arch concluding the works of the porticus Maximae in their eternal names be built and embellished.' The inscription is lost. It is preserved through a copy preserved in the sylloge of Einsiedeln. The inscription does not explicitly mention the dedication of statues, but it refers to the embellishment of the structure. In the case of an arch or city gate this probably meant a sculptural decoration. DESCRIPTION: No description of this monumental gate survives. The inscription describes it as an arch closing the porticus Maximae. In this case, the statues would have been placed facing out. PROVENANCE AND LOCATION: The anonymous author of the Einsiedeln sylloge records it as on an arch, near the 'Ponte Petri'. The arch is mentioned in other medieval texts and descriptions of the city, such as the ordo of Benedectus Canonicus and the mirabilia, where it is confused with the arch of Arcadius, Honorius and Theodosius II (LSA-1311). Our arch was erected in front of the ancient pons Aelius, modern ponte S. Angelo, on the southern margin of the Tiber. It marked the end of the porticus Maximae, a monumental walkway in the Campus Martius that is now lost (Lega). The arch collapsed due to lack of maintenance in the 14th century (Lega 1993, 96; De Maria 1988, 322). HONORAND, AWARDER AND DATE: The arch was commissioned and dedicated in the name of the emperors themselves, who appear in the inscription in the nominative case. Gratian, Valentinian II and Theodosius I were joint rulers between 379 and 383. As the incription tells us, the arch was dedicated in honour of their eternal names, which reinforces the hypothesis that the arch was decorated with statues of the emperors (Lega 1993, 96; De Maria 1988, 322). It would be unusual, however, for emperors to dedicated statues of themselves, and therefore we must remain cautious. Main ReferenceCorpus Inscriptionum Latinarum; , VI, 1184 (+p. 4333)Discussion ReferencesDe Maria, S., Gli archi onorari di Roma e dell'Italia romana, Rome 1988, p. 322, n. 101 Lega, C., "Arcus Gratiani, Valentiniani et Theodosii", in E. M. Steinby (ed.), Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae, vol. 1, Rome 1993, pp. 95-96 |
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