The Arch of Titus at a glance
The Arch of Titus is a single-bay monument at the start of the climb to the Palatine. It was probably built under Domitian for Titus, who had already been declared a god. The date AD 70 does not mean the year of building. It refers to the Jewish War and the capture of Jerusalem in that year.
The second arch on this page, the Arch of Septimius Severus, stands at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. The two arches are far apart in date and in subject. One celebrates a victory in Judaea, the other campaigns against the Parthians.
The two arches compared
What each monument shows and where you find it.
| Arch of Titus | Arch of Septimius Severus | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Start of the climb to the Palatine, at the Arco di Tito entrance | Foot of the Capitoline Hill |
| Date | Probably under Domitian | AD 203 |
| Shape | Single bay | Three passages |
| Subject | Titus and the capture of Jerusalem in AD 70 | Victories over the Parthians |
| Dedicated to | The deified Titus | Septimius Severus and Caracalla |
| Reliefs | In the passage | Campaigns and triumph |
Our picks: tours past the Arch of Titus
Forum and Palatine entry with a guide or an audio app.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Forum and Palatine Hill walk with a live guide
A live guide, headsets and entry to the Forum and Palatine Hill are included. The Colosseum, food and tips are not.
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Forum and Palatine Hill with a licensed guide
Forum and Palatine Hill entry, a licensed guide and headsets are included. The Colosseum is not part of it.
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Forum and Palatine Hill pass with an audio guide app
Entry covers the Forum, the Curia Iulia, the Palatine Hill and several special sites, with an audio guide app. There is no live guide and no Colosseum.
Check availability →Forum tours that pass the arches
Guided visits of the Forum and the Palatine that walk past both arches, with live prices and availability. Check what each tour includes.
The reliefs inside the Arch of Titus
Walk into the passage and look at the side panels. One relief shows Titus on a triumphal chariot, the quadriga. The other shows Roman soldiers carrying objects taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, among them the seven-branched menorah. This is war booty. The arch presents it as a Roman triumph, but the sack of Jerusalem and the looting of the Temple were violent events.
In the vault above you, a relief shows the deification of Titus. Look up before you leave the passage.
The Arch of Septimius Severus
A monument with three passages and an erased name.
The arch was dedicated in AD 203 at the foot of the Capitoline and honours victories over the Parthians. The inscription is dedicated to Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla. The name of Geta, the other son, was removed after he was murdered.
The reliefs deal with campaigns and triumph. They are not the same Jerusalem booty scene as on the Arch of Titus. In the Middle Ages the arch served as a fortification and was increasingly buried. Excavation and restoration followed in the modern era, in the 19th and 20th centuries.
How to find and see the arches
The Titus arch is at an entrance. The Severus arch is on the Forum square.
Entering at the Arch of Titus
The Arco di Tito is one of the five entrances to the Forum and Palatine site. It is the reference point for the Via Sacra. It is not a free passage, so you need a ticket. The Via Sacra leads on toward the Colosseum.
Restoration
A restoration of the Arch of Titus was announced for 2025, starting in January with completion planned for early June. Check on arrival whether any scaffolding or protective covering affects your view.
Where it fits on the route
On our suggested Forum route the Arch of Titus comes after the Basilica of Maxentius and before the climb to the Palatine. The Severus arch comes earlier, near the Curia and the Temple of Saturn.
Hours and tickets
Forum and Palatine open at 9:00. Last entry is 17:30 until 24 October 2026 and 15:30 from 25 October 2026. The standard combo ticket costs €18 (2026) and includes the Forum. See tickets.
What the arches tell you
Two monuments, two ways Rome showed its history.
Honour for a god-emperor
The Arch of Titus was raised after Titus had been declared a god. That is why the vault shows his deification, and why the arch is dedicated to the deified Titus rather than to a living ruler.
A family monument
The Severus arch honours the emperor and his son Caracalla. The removal of Geta's name shows that a monument could be edited when politics changed.
Two ends of the Forum
One arch stands where the Forum meets the Palatine climb, the other where it meets the Capitoline. Walking from one to the other takes you past most of the sites on the Forum map.
Reading the history with care
The Titus reliefs commemorate a conquest and the looting of a sacred place. Read them as Roman propaganda, not as a neutral record of events.
Nearby on the Forum
More to see around the arches.
Arch of Titus: frequently asked questions
When was the Arch of Titus built?
It was probably built under Domitian for Titus, who had already been deified. AD 70 refers to the capture of Jerusalem that the arch commemorates, not to the building date.
What do the reliefs in the Arch of Titus show?
Titus on a triumphal chariot and Roman soldiers carrying objects looted from the Temple in Jerusalem, including the seven-branched menorah. The vault shows the deification of Titus.
Where is the Arch of Septimius Severus?
At the foot of the Capitoline Hill, on the Forum square. It has three passages and dates from AD 203.
Why is a name missing from the Severus inscription?
The arch honoured Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta. Geta's name was removed after he was murdered.
Can I see the Arch of Titus without entering the Forum?
The Arco di Tito is an entrance, not an open passage. Plan on a Forum and Palatine ticket if you want to walk under the arch.