Like
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.