*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents Some of the most iconic symbols of the Roman Empire that have survived into the modern world today are the arches that Romans erected to commemorate military victories and glorify individual emperors. The story of how arches came to be used throughout the Roman world in such a way is one that involves the evolution of the military and its leaders into the political forces that came to dominate the state, and those arches, along with the triumphs that came to be associated with many of them, were key parts in the process of exhibiting the might of both Rome. At the same time, they were meant to mark the individual achievements of Rome’s rulers, making them an enormous and expensive PR exercise that steadily grew over the years. At its most basic, and in its earliest incarnation, the arch was a celebration of achievement and, as such, was part of a whole series of methods used by the Romans to record, reward, and publicize success. However, as the imperial period progressed, the arch came to symbolize much more and became exclusively associated with imperial might through the building of Triumphal Arches. The story of those arches is inextricably linked to the promotion of Rome as the greatest of all powers, and of its leaders as the most worthy and able of all commanders. While the rational behind developing “triumphal” arches in Rome and Italy stemmed from a system designed to recognize and reward individual bravery or cement and legitimize the successes of an emperor and his successors, the role of arches across the rest of the empire is even more complex. These monuments were primarily intended to promote Rome’s invincibility while serving as constant reminders of the power that could be brought to bear on any subjugated people. They also provided an opportunity for new citizens to demonstrate their loyalty to the empire, advertising their virtues and wealth at the same time. For these aspiring new citizens, sponsorship could prove an invaluable way to climb the social and political ladder on local and imperial levels.