Inscription
Detail of the Arch for Titus' inscription
Like most Roman arch monuments, the Arch for Titus bears an inscription stating who erected it and for whom it was built. This inscription emphasizes the relational significance of the arch. On the Arch for Titus the inscription reads:
“SENATUS
POPULUSQUE ROMANUS
DIVO TITO DIVI VESPASIANI F[ILIO]
VESPASIANO AUGUSTO”
Or, “The Senate and People of Rome [dedicate this] to the Divine Titus Vespasian Augustus son of the divine Vespasian.”
The form of the inscription itself is significant. At the top is the word senatus (Senate), below that are the words populusque romanus (the Roman people), underneath are the lines mentioning Titus and his father Vespasian, at the bottom of the visual hierarchy. In a period when the Senate and the emperor were negotiating for power, this hierarchy may have been intentional and integral to the purpose of the arch. In addition, the holes in the corners of the lettering indicate that bronze letters (now lost) were once nailed into the inscribed forms; they would have made the inscription more eye-catching. The inscription's appearance has therefore changed over time in ways that make it more difficult to appreciate the prominence and significance it once had.