Why did Romans build freestanding, commemorative arches?

12 points · 5 comments · view on lemmy.world

5 Comments

Sarazil@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y

Same reason we do today, they're cool. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_Arch

HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

They’re usually to celebrate a triumph

xia@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Cities grow, so I imagine the first few were actually gates from the old city wall, and the triumphal entry became a ceremonial simulacra of itself. Maybe on powerful/respected general was like: don't tear down that gate, the memories of that time i defeated...

Don_Dickle@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

What about Troy? Only asking because a while back we found evidence it actually exsisted.

xia@lemmy.sdf.org · 1 pts · 2y

Maybe I miscommunicated, because I was not trying to imply that anything did not exist.