(urth) Septimius Severus, Quadrifons

[António Marques]

On 22 August 2011 14:10, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Antonio Pedro Marques:
>>Septimius Severus's triumphal arch in Leptis Magna (Libya) is an arcus
>>quadrifons, i.e. a square with an arch in each side. I don't know whether
>>such arches were normal or rare; another one is one that is tought to have
>>been erected by Constantine, but for no known purposes.
>
> Well, I don't know a lot about architecture but I remember the Arc de Triomphe
> in Paris being quadrifronic http://middlezonemusings.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/arc-de-triomphe.jpg
> And it is based on the Arch of Titus, in Rome.  So, I'd guess it is a pretty
> standard form.

No, the severin and the possibly constantinian ones really are square,
all faces being the same size.

> With regard to its significance in Short Sun, I think this blurb from Wikipedia
> about Janus Quadrifrons might tie the reference to the concept of planetary and
> universal destruction and rebirth which was introduced in BotNS (...)

Yes; I just found it interesting that Severus's name (I never saw an
explanation for Severian's name, and for whatever reason I expected
one) and possibly the first christian emperor were associated to the
word 'quadrifons'.