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Claudius' British Victory Arch in Rome*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

A.A. Barrett
A.A. Barrett
Affiliation:
Department of Classics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
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Extract

The victories that followed Claudius' invasion of Britain in A.D. 43 were celebrated by a lavish and extensive triumph in Rome in the following year. Moreover, as a more permanent and visible reminder of the emperor's successes, two victory arches, one in Gesoriacum (Boulogne), his embarkation point, and the other in Rome, were decreed by the Senate. No trace of the Boulogne structure has survived; the Roman arch, on the other hand, is one of the most intriguing monuments of the Julio-Claudian period, presenting scholars with a series of epigraphic and architectural problems. The purpose of this paper is primarily to attempt to throw some light on the epigraphic issue, but since, as will become clear, any discussion of the arch's inscriptions must take place within the context of its architecture and decoration, the latter will be considered first.

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Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 22 , November 1991 , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © A.A. Barrett 1991. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

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18 See Strong, D.E., Roman Imperial Sculpture (1961), 29Google Scholar, and ‘The Temple of Castor in the Forum Romanum’, PBSR xxx (1962), 30. Similar battles between Romans and Celts are known from the famous Mantua frieze, and the arch at OrangeGoogle Scholar.

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23 Further discoveries may have been made in 1587, seemingly located by Girolamo Ferrucci in the Piazza di Sciarra on the way to the Portico of Antinous (the Hadreanum). He apparently saw blocks of marble excavated, and also, in the basement of a corner shop, identified traditionally as the site of the arch, saw piers of peperino and columns of granite. Ashby, , op. cit. (note 10). 179 cites for this informationGoogle ScholarFerrucci's, L'Antichita di Roma (1588), 115Google Scholar, the Italian translation of Fulvio's, AndreaAntiquitales, published in 1588; I was unable, however, to locate the passage at the place citedGoogle Scholar.

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29 Torrentius. Brux f. 1; Pighius, Berol. f. 103.

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31 Codex barberinus 30. 136 f. 53: ‘in arcu Claudii qui erat in via lata iuxta palatium ducis Carbognani eruta dum eiusdem palatii fundamenta iacerentur’.

32 More or less contemporary with the victory arch is an inscription found in the grove of Diana at Aricia (ILS 220). with a similar group of four names, in honour of Claudius and three members of his family. Agrippina minor. Britannicus and Nero.

33 Duplicate inscriptions are even found in Britain (although there is not, of course, any evidence of their use on victory arches), as at Milecastle 38 (Hotbank); see RIB 1637-38.

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39 Eutropius 7.13: ‘quasdam insulas etiam ultra Britannias in Oceano positas imperio Romano addidit, quae uppellantur Orchades.’ Ligorio's transcription was. of course, of the other copy of the same inscription.

40 De Gozze's transcription was published by Martrnelli, Fioravante, Roma rícercata nel suo cito (1644)Google Scholar, and several later editions) and the text recorded there reprinted in 1771 by Nardini., op. cit. (note 13), vol. 3, 989Google Scholar.

41 Fabretti, R., Inscriptionum Antiquarum Explicatio (1702), 446, 728. I do not understand Fabrctti's reading of ‘E’ in line 8Google Scholar.

42 Orelli., J.C.Inscriptionum Lalinarum Selectarum Amplissima Collectio (1828), No. 715Google Scholar.

43 See EE I, 220. The previous disregard of CIL vi 921 b and c was not significant. 921d is the crucial fragment.

44 Gatti's, drawing is taken from Castagnoli. op. cit. (note 6). 71Google Scholar.

45 Perrot., G. ‘Une Inscription de Cyzique’, RA xxxi (1876), 100 reads aram instead of arcum, but without discussionGoogle Scholar.

46 Collingwood, R.G., Roman Britain and the English Settlements (1937). 85, n. 2. suggested that Suetonius might have taken his phrase from the arch. A misunderstanding of this reference in Suetonius (or of a common source) may explain the confused allusion in Dio LXI.30 (epitome), under A.D. 47, to the use by Claudius of British captives (along with freed men) in gladiatorial shows. Another example of Suetonius’ apparent use of inscriptionssi provided by ILS 218, on the Porta Maggiore. The record of repair to aqueducts bears a striking resemblance to Suetonius' account of the same event (Claud. 20.I). I am grateful to my student Bruce Robertson for drawing this to my attentionGoogle Scholar.

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49 Bell. Gall, vii.77.6. Critognatus, an Arvernian chief at Alesia says: ‘si nullam praelerquam vitae no strae iacturam viderem’ (‘if I could see no loss except that of my own life … ’).

50 Claudius assumed his fifth consulship in A.D. 51, and held the eleventh award of tribunicia poteslas from late January 51 to the same date in 52. Des in the inscription is a restoration, but on historical grounds some abbreviation of designato is certain (Gordon, loc. cit. (note 28), believes that he can see the s).

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52 L. Keppie, in his forthcoming book on inscriptions, makes the interesting suggestion that two arches might have been involved, one constructed soon after 43 and this second, separate, structure on the Aqua Virgo (I am grateful to Dr Keppie for communicating this information).

53 Tac, , Ann. xu.35. The association was first suggested by Henzen (in CIL). Koeppel cites Tac, Hist. III. 45: ‘[Cartimandua] instruxisse triumphum Claudii Caesaris videbatur.’ as proof that Claudius celebrated a second triumph in A.D. 51. It would be risky, however, to press too technical an interpretation on Tacitus at this pointGoogle Scholar.

54 See Deman, E.B. Van, The Building of the Roman Aqueducts (1934), 167–78Google Scholar; Ashby, , op. cit. (note 10), 167–82Google Scholar.

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61 For parallels to the structure of Claudius' arch, see Richmond, I. A., ‘Commemorative Arches and City Gates in the Augustan Age,’ JRS xxxiii (1933), 149–74Google Scholar.