Is the whole arch recycled?


Many archaeologists have argued that almost the whole arch is recycled. In the early 1990s, excavations revealed older foundations beneath the arch of Constantine dating back to the time of Domitian. No written sources mention Domitian erecting an arch in his own honour, however if the remains below Constantine’s arch is from one of these, then this suggests that the arch had been torn down following the damnatio memoriae inflicted on Domitian after his death, or it was dilapidated and abandoned.

 

Reused:


There are at least three explanations for the reuse of older monuments:

One possibility is lack of highly skilled artisans. Without the influence of the imperial courts, the artistic workshops had less work, and so less people were needed. Skill would also have declined without work.


The second possibility was the lack of time. Constantine wanted to have the arch finished for his tenth anniversary of his ascent to power. He arrived in Rome in 312 CE, and his anniversary was in 315 (or 316) CE. This left little time for construction.

And the final possibility was that, Constantine may have wanted to be placed in the same categories as Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius, who were also, know as the “Good Emperors,” because in their reigns they brought peace, prosperity and safe succession to the empire.


It could also have been a combination any or all of these possibilities.
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