Pompeii’s honorary arches formed part of the monumental development of the Forum and the streets immediately around it during the imperial period. Built of brick and originally faced with marble, they celebrated the emperor and members of the imperial family.
Two arches stood on either side of the Temple of Jupiter. Little more than the foundations of the eastern arch survives, while the western arch was rebuilt after the earthquake of AD 62. Another large, double-bayed arch dominates the north-eastern exit from the Forum; its upper section contained a cistern that supplied a fountain.
A further arch was erected in the Tiberian period on Via di Mercurio, near the Temple of Fortuna Augusta. Together, these monuments formed a ceremonial route closely associated with the imperial cult.
