 Arch of Gallienus today | |
   Arch of Gallienus Shown within Rome | |
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| Location | Regione VEsquiliae |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°53′45″N12°30′05″E / 41.89583°N 12.50139°E /41.89583; 12.50139 |
| Type | Arch |
| History | |
| Founded | built during theAugustan age, rededicated in 262 |
TheArch of Gallienus is a name given to thePorta Esquilina, an ancient Roman arch in theServian Wall ofRome. It was here that the ancient Roman roadsVia Labicana andVia Tiburtina started.
The arch was rebuilt in monumental style in the Augustan period.[1] It was not intended to be atriumphal arch but to serve as a gateway in theRepublican city wall of Rome.[2] In 262, theequestrian (Marcus) Aurelius Victor,[3] member of the imperial household, rededicated the arch to the emperorGallienus and his wife,Salonina, by replacing the original inscription.[2] The purpose of the rededication was to balance the negative publicity which Gallienus had earned due to the various setbacks the Empire had suffered during his reign.[2]
It still stands in the Via San Vito, the ancientClivus Suburanus – the sequel, the Via S. Martino ai Monti, follows the course of the ancientArgiletum, the main road to theRoman Forum.
Already in the Augustan period the Porta Esquilina was taken as included in the Esquiline Forum, which included the market called theMacellum Liviae. When these buildings were abandoned in late antiquity, thediaconia and monastery of San Vito took them over, as recorded in theEinsiedeln Itinerary. It is this church against which the arch's remains now rest.
The surviving single arch is oftravertine, 8.80 metres high, 7.30 wide, and 3.50 deep. It is supported by piers which are 1.40 metres wide and 3.50 deep. Outside these piers, there are twopilasters of the same depth, topped byCorinthian capitals. The pillars support a horizontalentablature which is 2 metres high and contains a dedicatory inscription on thearchitrave. There is a simplecornice on each side of the arch, beneath its spring. A drawing of the 15th century shows small side arches.[4] These pedestrian arches were demolished during the 15th century.[5]
| GALLIENO CLEMENTISSIMO PRINCIPI | To Gallienus, the most clementprinceps, |
| CVIVS INVICTA VIRTVS SOLA PIETATE | whose unconqueredvirtus is only outdone |
| SVPERACTA EST ET SALONINAE | by hispietas, and to Salonina, |
| SANCTISSIMAE AVGVSTAE AVRELIVS | most holyAugusta, Aurelius |
| VICTOR V[ir] E[gregius] DICATISSIMVS | Victor,the excellent man, [dedicated this] in complete devotion |
| NVMINI MAIESTATIQVE EORVM | to theirnumina and majesty |
These two surviving lines represent the end of an inscription.[6] The large rectangular blank space above them had marble slabs fixed onto it, with the beginning of the inscription – the drilled holes for these slabs' metal fixings are still visible. The missing part of the inscription probably named the emperorValerian, father of Gallienus who was captured by theSassanid Persians in260.[5]
Media related toArch of Gallienus (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by Arch of Dolabella | Landmarks of Rome Arch of Gallienus | Succeeded by Porta Esquilina |