This gold coin conveys something of the power that the conquest of Britain had over the Roman imagination. Julius Caesar made two attempts on the island in 55 and 54 BC, but it wasn't until Claudius landed in Colchester, Essex in 43 AD that the definitive invasion began. The coin commemorates Claudius's triumph, with one side showing the emperor sitting astride a horse on top of a triumphal arch with the inscription 'DE BRITANN' (over the Britons).
Volubilis was an important Roman town that was built on the site of an earlier Carthaginian settlement, which in turn overlies a previous neolithic site. The area exhibits some of the most well preserved ruins in that part of the continent.
Every Roman town included a military and ceremonial structure in the form of a triumphal arch. These are free-standing monumental archways. The example at Volubilis is situated and the end of the main street Decumanus Maximus. Other ruins include that of The Forum columns and The Basilica 10 meter high walls. Mosaics are also on display.
21m high and 25.7m wide, the Arch of Constantine stands between the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, spanning the Via Triumphalis, the road that victorious emperors travelled down to return to Rome. The arch differs from Rome's other arches in that it is constructed out of parts of earlier buildings, a technique known as spolia. The lower parts are made of marble and there is a staircase on the side facing Palatine Hill. Highly ornate, the arch carries inscriptions and triumphal scenes and is similar in style to the Arch of Septimius Severus.
The model for many of the triumphal arches built since the Renaissance, the Arch of Titus is made of Pentelic marble and has a single arch. It stands at 15.m high and 13.5m wide and straddles the Via Sacra to the south-east of the forum. The panels on the arch display scenes commemorating the victory of Titus and his father Vespasian over the jews. It is the only monument in Rome to show artifacts from the temple in Jerusalem.
The arch was turned into a fortified tower by the Frangipani family in the 14th century.
Like many of the structures in ancient Anthens, the Arch of Hadrian was made from marble brought from Mount Pentelikon 18.2km away. It stands 18m high and 13.5m wide and originally straddled a major road leading into the city. Fully symmetrical, the arch bears inscriptions pledging the city of Athens to Hadrian. Its design is very reminiscent of Roman triumphal arches, a piece of architectural flattery which complements the theory that the arch was meant as a welcome git for the Roman Emperor.
This two-bayed arch was originally sited at the end of the Roman road from Lyons to Saintes, marking the entrance to a bridge over the river Charente. It was moved during the 19th century whilst work was being carried out to quays on the river. The dedicatory inscription on the attic is hard to read, however the dedication to Germanicus is still discernible, giving the arch its modern name. Below this is a dedication to the donor of the arch and his ancestors. This is repeated on all four sides of the structure.
