The New Student's Reference Work/Arch, Triumphal

Arch, Triumphal, was a memorial raised by the Romans to celebrate a victory or in honor of a victorious general. When a general came back from battle, the gate by which he entered Rome was wont to be adorned with the spoils of war. This custom grew into that of raising a special arch of bronze or stone, patterned after a city gate. The most remarkable of these arches still remaining are the arch of Augustus at Rimini, the arch of Trajan at Beneventum and the arches of Constantine and Titus at Rome. The arch of Titus was built by the Roman people after his death, in honor of his conquest of Judæa, and is remarkable for its bas-reliefs. The finest modern arch is the Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon I at Paris. It has three arches, and is 160 feet high and 150 feet long.