Emperor Domitian had the Arch built to honor his brother Titus in 81 AD. Yet, unlike the other arches that you’ve seen in the Roman Forum, this monumental structure is a gift to a dead warrior. How could we know? We can assume that Titus had already passed away when this arch was built because of the reference to him in the dedicatory inscription as “divine”; Emperors could upgrade to a divine status only after their demise. " The bas-relief in the middle of the Arch’s vault depicts Titus’ death and ascension to divinity in a very clear way presenting the Emperor’s body being elevated to the heavens by an eagle, a symbol of both Rome and Jupiter, the king of the Roman gods.