Triumphal arches were erected in honour of important person or to commemorate a significant event such as victories. They have symbolic role, so that every relief depict allegory of victory. Exclusive right for triumphal entrance was allowed only for some specific person, namely emperor. Triumph of an emperor means glory entrance in the city, mostly riding a horse.

There were some legal acts which prohibit anyone to enter the city after emperor and his army. The ceremony lasts just a few days. Pliny the Elder was the only ancient author who told us about the triumphant roll of the arches.

Architecture of ancient roman triumphal arches was, in a widest sense, conventional.

Early arches mostly had two piers connected by an arch, and on the top, there was attica on which was sculpture and commemorative inscriptions about the emperor, or like on some, there were sculptures of a gods. Modesty of early arches can be antedate by their names- fornices, which means arc. Only later, arches from the Augustian time were mention as  arcus, and sometimes the word triumphalis was added. The change of the name suggested that triumphal arch is much more different than fornices, namely by the monumentality.

Most of the triumphal arches were built during the empire period, from the Augustus reign to the fall of Roman Empire. There are no remains of triumphal arches before reign of Emperor Augustus, although it is known that there was erected arch by Lucius Stertinius, Scipio Africanus the Elder and by Quintus Fabius Allobrogicus (this arch is now in remains, but its position was in entrance to Forum Romanorum along Via Sacra. Arch celebrates victory over Allobroges, celtic tribe). By the fourth century, thirty-six triumphal arches were erected in Rome. 8. year  b.c. arch in Suse was erected, by people of Kot Alps in honour of Augustus. If we compare this Susa arch with only remain arch from the pre-augustian times Fornix Fabianus,  we can clearly see that Fornix Fabianus is missing piers and beams on the whole structure which disable jagged architectural totality. Arch in Susa  has surbase on which is shown sacrifice that Alps people contribute to the Emperor Augustus.

When Augustus defeat Marcus Antonius in 28. year b.c. at Actium he celebrated  triumph which was held for 3 days. Senate then erected two arches, one in Brindis, another in Rome near the Cesar temple who was after his death sainted (The arch is spanning the road between the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the Temple of Caesar, near the Temple of Vesta.).This arch was very monumental. On top of the central arch stood, still according to contemporary coins, a quadriga and above the lateral archways statues. After that,  in 20. year b.c. Senate decided to adjunt two more way arch to this one on the sides. This decision was made by the voluntary returning of roman military auguries which were lost in time of   Marcus Licinius Crassus and Marcus Antonius defeat with Parthian Empire.  Its appearance can be estimated by depictions on Roman coinage.

The Arch of Augustus was the first three-way arch in Rome, and served as a model for the Arch of Septimius Severus, which again was the model of the Arch of Constantine.

Triumphal arch in Provence- this arch was one of the earliest. It have one arch and  on the top is the pediment. This arch is important for his impact on romanic architecture in France (for example impact can been seen on  St. Gilles du Gard). On this triumphal arch, sculptures were put between the piers. Decoration of  the inner side of arch are hexagonal cassettes. Triumphal arch in Carpentras- this arch is example how triumphal arch can now bear documentary value. On this triumphal arch, on the relief is shown look of barbarian  (look at his cloak).

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