PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ARCH
The arch is 23 meters high, 25 meters wide, and 11.85 meters deep. The middle (central) archway is 12 meters high, 7 meters wide and the arches on either side are 7.8M meters high and 3 meters wide. The arch was constructed on a base of travertine, and the arch itself is constructed of Pentelic marble that originally had steps which rose up from the forum level to the arch. The three archways all rest on individual piers, and in front of those are columns made of a composite which sit on pedestals. Each face of the arch has a fluted column, four total, which are 8.78 meters high and 0.9 meters in diameter at the base. Each fluted column also stands separate and free from the arch on their own individual base. Behind these columns are corresponding pilasters. An entablature encompasses the entire arch, above it is the lofty attic, which is 5.6 meters tall and has four chambers within it. There are narrow relief bands over the side arches that represent the triumphs that Rome had over conquered people, and above those are four even larger reliefs which depict in detail the campaigns of Severus in the East. The spandrels of the center arch contain winged Victories, and the side arches have river gods. Mars Victor is on the keystone of the central arch, and on the pedestal are Roman soldiers driving captives. Coins exist which depict the arch to be topped with a six or eight horse chariot, in which were Severus and Victory accompanied by Geta and Caracalla. The coins also show four equestrian figures, but no traces of such a statue have been found.