Editing Arch of Constantine (section)

== History ==
The arch, which was constructed between 312 and 315, was dedicated by the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] to commemorate ten years (''a decennia''{{efn|Constantine chose to date his accession to power from the time of his acclamation by the troops at York in England on 25 July 306. Thus he chose to celebrate his ''decennalia'' in the year July 315 to July 316{{sfn|Ferris|2013|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA20 p.&nbsp;20]}} }}) of [[Constantine I|Constantine's]] reign (306–337) and his victory over the then reigning emperor [[Maxentius]] (306–312) at the [[Battle of the Milvian Bridge]] on 28 October 312,{{sfn|Ferris|2013|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP7 p.&nbsp;7]}} as described on its [[#Attic|attic]] inscription,{{sfn|Aicher|2004|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=t6m9g5G8Z1YC&pg=PA184 p.&nbsp;184]}} and officially opened on 25 July 315. Not only did the Roman senate give the arch for Constantine's victory, they also were celebrating [[decennalia]]: a series of games that happened every decade during the [[Roman Empire]]. On these occasions they also said many prayers and renewed both spiritual and mundane vows.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title = Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor|last = Stephenson|first = Paul|publisher = The Overlook Press|year = 2010|location = New York|pages = 151}}</ref> However, Constantine had actually entered Rome on 29 October 312, amidst great rejoicing, and the Senate then commissioned the monument.{{sfn|Barnes|1981|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LGDjJK-JeSwC&pg=PA44 pp.&nbsp;44–47]}} Constantine then left Rome within two months and did not return until 326.{{sfn|Ferris|2013|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP21 p.&nbsp;11]}}

[[File:The Arch of Constantine, Rome.jpeg|thumb|left|The Arch of Constantine, Rome - painted by [[Herman van Swanevelt]], 17th century]]

The location, between the [[Palatine Hill]] and the [[Caelian Hill]], spanned the ancient route of [[Roman triumphs#The route|Roman triumphs]] (''Via triumphalis'') at its origin, where it diverged from the ''[[Via sacra]]''.{{sfn|Ferris|2013|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP7 p.&nbsp;7]}}{{sfn|Lanciani|1892|loc=[https://archive.org/details/paganandchristi02lancgoog/page/n44 p.&nbsp;20]}}{{sfn|Marlowe|2010}} This route was that taken by the emperors when they entered the city in triumph. This route started at the [[Campus Martius]], led through the [[Circus Maximus]], and around the Palatine Hill; immediately after the Arch of Constantine, the procession would turn left at the [[Meta Sudans]] and march along the ''Via sacra'' to the [[Forum Romanum]] and on to the [[Capitoline Hill]], passing through both the [[Arch of Titus|Arches of Titus]] and [[Arch of Septimius Severus|Septimius Severus]].

During the Middle Ages, the Arch of Constantine was incorporated into one of the family strongholds of ancient Rome, as shown in the painting by [[Herman van Swanevelt]], here. Works of restoration were first carried out in the 18th century,{{sfn|Elsner|2000}}{{efn|Deane{{sfn|Deane|1921|loc=p.&nbsp;91}} comments that Gradara{{sfn|Gradara|1918}} published an excerpt from the diary of [[Pietro Bracci]] in 1732, in which Bracci states that he carved new heads for seven of the Dacian slaves surmounting the columns and a completely new statue for the eighth (right of centre, south side). He also made new heads for the emperors and other figures on the reliefs between the slaves}} the last excavations have taken place in the late 1990s, just before the [[Great Jubilee]] of 2000. The arch served as the finish line for the [[Athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics|marathon athletic]] event for the [[1960 Summer Olympics]].

The arch was damaged after sustaining a direct hit from a lightning strike on 3 September 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-09-04 |title=A lightning strike damages Rome's ancient Constantine Arch |url=https://apnews.com/article/italy-storm-damage-constantine-arch-174c1a045767b14c933d845a7ac62dff |access-date=2024-09-04 |work=Associated Press |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Constantine arch datation en.svg|thumb|Dates of incorporated decorative material]]

=== Controversy ===
There has been much controversy over the origins of the arch, with some scholars claiming that it should no longer be referred to as Constantine's arch, but is in fact an earlier work from the time of [[Hadrian]], reworked during Constantine's reign,{{sfn|Ferris|2013|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP7 p.&nbsp;7]}} or at least the lower part.{{efn|For which, see Conforto,{{sfn|Conforto|2001}} however, for the contrary view that the whole arch was constructed in the 4th century, see Pensabene & Panella{{sfn|Pensabene|Panella|2001}}}} Another theory holds that it was erected, or at least started, by [[Maxentius]],<ref name=":0" />{{efn|The controversy extends to a number of other public buildings attributed to Constantine, as hinted at by [[Aurelius Victor]] in ''De Caesaribus''{{sfn|Marlowe|2010}}}} and one scholar believed it was as early as the time of [[Domitian]] (81–96).{{sfn|Frothingham|1912}}{{sfn|Ferris|2013|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihGoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PP7 p.&nbsp;7]}}

=== Symbolism ===
Maxentius's reputation in Rome was influenced by his contributions to public building. By the time of his accession in 306 Rome was becoming increasingly irrelevant to the governance of the empire, most emperors choosing to live elsewhere and focusing on defending the fragile boundaries, where they frequently founded new cities.

These factors contributed to Maxentius' ability to seize power. In contrast to his predecessors, Maxentius concentrated on restoring the capital; his epithet was ''conservator urbis suae'' (preserver of his city). Thus, Constantine was perceived as the deposer of one of the city's greatest benefactors, and needed to acquire legitimacy. Much controversy has surrounded the patronage of the public works of this period. Issuing a [[damnatio memoriae]], Constantine set out to systematically erase the memory of Maxentius. Consequently, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the patronage of early fourth century public buildings, including the Arch of Constantine, which may originally have been an Arch of Maxentius.{{sfn|Marlowe|2010}}

{{Gallery |width=160 | height=170 |align=center 
|Image:RomeConstantine'sArch03.jpg|South side, from ''Via triumphalis''. [[Colosseum]] to right
|Image:Archofconstantine.jpg|North side, from the Colosseum
|File:Luk Konstantyna strona zachodnia.JPG|West side
}}