Subject: (urth) Septimius Severus, Quadrifons

From: António Pedro Marques <entonio at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:38:27 +0000

Sorry if this have been brought up before.

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leptis_Magna_Arch_of_Septimus_Severus.jpg
http://www.livius.org/ro-rz/rome/rome_arch_janus.html

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From: Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:10:26 +0000

>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.
 
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.  Perhaps the 
Whorl is meant to show us a faster cycling version of the planets which, in turn, 
are faster cycling models of the universe.
 
>QUADRIFRONS:
 
>Quadrifrons is believed to be the fourth face of the God Janus and represents an 
>aspect of the God's attitude and life-cycle. Quadrifrons represents death and 
>destruction or the end of the life-cycle while Trifrons represents wisdom and 
>Bifrons represents virility thus completing the beginning-to-end cycle that 
>begins with Janus itself.

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From: António Marques <entonio at gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:12:02 +0000

On 22 August 2011 14:10, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

> 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'.

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From: Mo Holkar <lists at ukg.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:13:08 +0000

At 01:12 24/08/2011, Ant?nio wrote:
>(I never saw an
>one)

There has been a bit of discussion relating 
Severian's name to the character Severin in 
Sacher-Masoch's Venus in Furs
 Wolfe being Wolfe, 
there are likely several strands of reference brought together in the name.

(According to LU, there are 5 saints so named.)

best,

Mo

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