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Arch of Titus

Short answer: The Arch of Titus stands on the Velia at the eastern edge of the Roman Forum, where the Via Sacra climbs toward the Palatine. Its dedication (CIL VI 945) honors 'divus' Titus, meaning Titus after his death and deification.

So it's dated after Titus died in 81 CE, to the early reign of his brother Domitian, around 81-82 CE. Its reliefs celebrate the Roman triumph that Titus and his father Vespasian held in 71 CE after the Judaean War, in which Roman forces captured Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE. The south panel shows soldiers carrying the Temple's spoils, including the seven-branched menorah. The north panel shows Titus in his chariot, crowned by Victory, and the vault shows his apotheosis. The arch is mostly Pentelic marble. In the Middle Ages it was built into a fortress, and Giuseppe Valadier restored it in the 1820s, filling missing parts with travertine. Its menorah image was later chosen as the basis for the emblem of the State of Israel.

VideoWrite-up4 sources

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What should you know about Arch of Titus?

Quick facts. Each one stands alone and has a stable ID you can cite.

  1. The arch's inscription honors Titus as 'divus', after his death and deification.

    DD-690-F01 · Write-up · Exhibit A (Built for a deified emperor)

  2. The south relief shows the menorah carried among the Temple's spoils.

    DD-690-F02 · Write-up · Exhibit C (The spoils panel)

Video transcript: Arch of Titus: Carved Spoils of Jerusalem's Temple

DID YOU KNOW? The Arch of Titus is a first century AD triumphal arch located on the Via Sacra in Rome, built by Emperor Domitian ~81 CE to commemorate the victories of his brother Titus, particularly the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Constructed of white marble, the single arch structure features detailed relief panels depicting scenes such as the spoils of the temple of Jerusalem, including the menorah being carried in a celebratory procession. NOW YOU KNOW!

Burned-in captions, read frame by frame (see transcript.md) · 24.2s Reel ·

Video coming soonArch of Titus · Instagram Reel
Arch of Titus: Carved Spoils of Jerusalem's Temple Instagram Reel · · 24.2s

The write-up

Carved spoils of Jerusalem's Temple. Domitian's arch honors his deified brother Titus.

  1. Exhibit A

    Built for a deified emperor

    The inscription honors 'divus' Titus, meaning Titus after his death in 81 CE, so the arch is dated to Domitian's early reign, around 81-82 CE.

  2. Exhibit B

    The war it marks

    The reliefs celebrate the 71 CE triumph of Titus and Vespasian after the Judaean War, in which Jerusalem and its Second Temple were destroyed in 70 CE.

  3. Exhibit C

    The spoils panel

    The south panel shows the Temple's spoils carried in procession, including the seven-branched menorah. The north panel shows Titus in his chariot, crowned by Victory.

  4. Exhibit D

    Marble and restoration

    The arch is mostly Pentelic marble. After centuries inside a medieval fortress, Giuseppe Valadier restored it in the 1820s, filling missing parts with travertine.

  5. Exhibit E

    A lasting image

    The arch's menorah was later chosen as the basis for the emblem of the State of Israel.

Questions people ask about Arch of Titus

Which emperor built the Arch of Titus?

Domitian, Titus's brother.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Built for a deified emperor) · Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus; Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE)

When did Roman forces destroy the Second Temple in Jerusalem?

70 CE.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The war it marks) · Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE); Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies: Arch of Titus

Which object is shown in the spoils panel?

The seven-branched menorah.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The spoils panel) · Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus; Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies: Arch of Titus

Who restored the arch in the 1820s?

Giuseppe Valadier.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Marble and restoration) · Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE); Urbem Hierusolymam delevit: The Arch of Titus in the Circus Maximus (York University); Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus

What does the inscription's 'divus' tell us?

It honors the deified Titus.

Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Built for a deified emperor) · Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus; Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE)

Test Your Knowledge

All quizzes →

5 questions, all from this case file. Answers are revealed instantly.

  1. Which emperor built the Arch of Titus?

    1. Domitian
    2. Nero
    3. Augustus
    4. Hadrian
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Domitian Domitian, Titus's brother. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Built for a deified emperor) · Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus; Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE)

  2. When did Roman forces destroy the Second Temple in Jerusalem?

    1. 70 CE
    2. 30 CE
    3. 135 CE
    4. 312 CE
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. 70 CE 70 CE. Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (The war it marks) · Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE); Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies: Arch of Titus

  3. Which object is shown in the spoils panel?

    1. The menorah
    2. The Ark of the Covenant
    3. A crown
    4. A ship
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. The menorah The seven-branched menorah. Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The spoils panel) · Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus; Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies: Arch of Titus

  4. Who restored the arch in the 1820s?

    1. Giuseppe Valadier
    2. Gian Lorenzo Bernini
    3. Michelangelo
    4. Andrea Palladio
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Giuseppe Valadier Giuseppe Valadier. Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Marble and restoration) · Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE); Urbem Hierusolymam delevit: The Arch of Titus in the Circus Maximus (York University); Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus

  5. What does the inscription's 'divus' tell us?

    1. Titus was already dead and deified
    2. Titus was still alive
    3. Titus built it
    4. Titus was a general only
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. Titus was already dead and deified It honors the deified Titus. Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Built for a deified emperor) · Parco archeologico del Colosseo: Arch of Titus; Judaism and Rome: Arch of Titus, Roman Forum (81-82 CE)

Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Arch of Titus." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-690, last updated Jan 7, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/arch-of-titus/

Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/arch-of-titus/ · Last updated

Markdown version

Cite a single fact by its ID, for example DD-690-F01 → https://detailenjoyer.com/case/arch-of-titus/#DD-690-F01

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