View Page: The Manifest Glory of Rome: The Roman Triumph

	The Manifest Glory of Rome: The Roman Triumph
	written by daw84 / 09.04.2005

Section Six

6 of 7

Personal Observations

http://www.bluffton.edu/ ~sullivanm/titus/titus.html

Fig. 21

The Menorah

When approaching the arch for the first time, I was almost overcome by the amount of history right beneath my feet. To think of the amazing triumphs that passed over this very ground! And these are the very rocks which their incredible chariots bounced over as the traveled through the crowds to the Temple of Jupiter! One can just feel the history of the place!

I greatly enjoyed examining the history of the destruction of the temple and of the Jewish people. The menorah, which is by far the most dominating spoil of war engraved into the arch, has been a source of immense controversy. While its base is depicted on the arch as hexagonal, in Jewish history is said to have been a tripod. The Romans could have intentionally performed this change when constructing the arch; however, as can be seen through the orientation of the figures in the friezes, Roman architects paid special attention to detail and accuracy in their work. It is hypothesized, therefore, that Roman influence entered the Jewish temple long before Titus crossed its threshold, implying that the menorah had actually been reconstructed during Herod’s temple expansion.

<< Section Five

[ View All Pages ] [ Back to top ]

Section Seven >>