| Abstract
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This study consists of a detailed architectural and historical assessment of the remains of two Roman-era honorific arches at the imperial colony of Pisidian Antioch, near the modern town of Yalvaç in Turkey. My analysis shows that these arches reflect the colonial situation of the city at two distinct historical moments, during the reigns of Augustus and Hadrian. The arch of Augustus was a hybrid monument that, by means of its location, form, and decoration, attempted to integrate the varying cultural elements within the city. The arch was an independently designed monument, not a provincial copy of the Parthian Arch in Rome as has often been asserted. Through its decorative program, the arch of Augustus painted a broader picture of the life and deeds of Augustus than any arch yet known; accordingly, it can be described as a visual Res Gestae Augusti . Both the decoration and the form of this arch combined influences from Hellenistic honorific monuments and propyla with the form of a Roman honorific arch. This hybrid character suggests that the arch was specifically designed for its colonial situation, where Romans, Greeks, and Phrygians would be required to live side-by-side. In the Hadrianic period, the cities of Asia Minor mustered their local histories in competition for increased status within the imperial system. Pisidian Antioch had a significant Hellenistic history, embodied in its Seleucid name and its ancient extramural sanctuary of Men Askaenos. The arch of Hadrian was an ornamental city gate that reflected contemporary developments in the form of arches in Asia Minor, while its decorative program made extensive reference to the arch of Augustus in the same city. The reflexive relationship between the arches suggests that by the Hadrianic period the arch of Augustus came to be viewed as a monument to the city's ktistes , or founder. The arch of Hadrian, therefore, made a favorable comparison between Hadrian and Augustus in preparation for Hadrian's visit to the city, and positioned the Roman refoundation as the primary element in the city's externally-projected identity.
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