L ike most triumphal arches, this one celebrates a victory of war. Specifically, when Rome put down the Jewish revolt in Jerusalem in 71. In the process, emperor Titus' army destroyed Herod's Temple and began the period known to the Jews as the Diaspora, which ended in 1947 with the founding of Israel. Inside the arch is a bas relief sculpture showing the Roman army carrying the spoils of war down through the streets of Rome. The most notable item is a large menorah being carried down the Via Scara. It is believed that the actual menorah is stashed in the secret tomb of Alric the Goth at the bottom of the Busento River. There is also a depiction of the goddess Victory descending from the heavens and crowning Titus. The arch overlooks Palatine Hill. This is where Rome first became a city in 753bc. It was thought that the legend of Remus and Romulus founding Rome at this location was a myth until modern archaeologists unearthed evidence to the contrary. Either way, at the height of the Roman Empire, this is where the rich and famous lived. It was such a popular address that when the Romans ran out of hillside to build on, they actually made the hill larger.
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