# Arch of Titus vase smasher **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arch-of-titus-vase-smasher/701578 "2014-10-17T12:45:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arch-of-titus-vase-smasher/701578/1 "2014-10-17T12:45:01Z")
My history professor described a scene from when he was in Rome that he hasn’t been able to find out more about. I’m hoping someone here knows. He was walking under the Arch of Titus and was standing near the section about the sack of Jerusalem when a woman came in, unwrapped a small vase, and smashed it on the ground. I guess he looked pretty shocked, as she said something to him about it being a ritual. She then carefully picked up all the pieces and left. Does anyone recognize this a A Thing? ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arch-of-titus-vase-smasher/701578/2 "2014-10-17T12:51:15Z")
Hmm …well it doesnt seem to require the victim to help, and in fact makes the victim scared, so it would always fail if it was a pick pocket attempt. Italians do smash vases at weddings. [http://www.brevardminister.com/blog/the-breaking-of-the-glass-a-jewish-and-italian-ritual-of-conclusion](http://www.brevardminister.com/blog/the-breaking-of-the-glass-a-jewish-and-italian-ritual-of-conclusion) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arch-of-titus-vase-smasher/701578/3 "2014-10-17T12:59:08Z")
The Arch depicts the sacking of the Temple at Jerusalem after Titus conquered the city (and is interesting because it probably depicts the treasures of the Temple as they actually appeared – they were almost certainly brought back to Rome and paraded at the Triumph). Jews throughout the centuries have understandably not been very happy about this. The Jewish tradition of breaking a wine glass at the wedding supposedly derives from > [@](#): > > The tradition is traced back to the Talmud which tells of a Rabbi who broke a vase at a wedding because he didn’t want people to be too happy It seems to me that your vase-smasher was following this Talmudic practice of smashing a vase so “people wouldn’t be too happy” in protest of the Sacking of Jerusalem. [http://yourjewishspeech.com/tag/smash-a-glass-at-the-wedding/](http://yourjewishspeech.com/tag/smash-a-glass-at-the-wedding/) > **[Arch of Titus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Titus)** > > The Arch of Titus (Italian: Arco di Tito; Latin: Arcus Tītī) is a 1st-century AD honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in c. 81 AD by Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus's official deification or consecratio and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea. > The arch contains panels depicting the triumphal procession celebr... ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2014, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arch-of-titus-vase-smasher/701578/4 "2014-10-17T13:59:15Z")
I can’t see it documented as one of the ‘traditions’. > [@](#): > > I stand a long time trying to decide what to do. I’ve read about the Jewish traditions associated with the Arch–never walk under it, spit when you go near, be wary of the history it commemorates. But since Israel became a state, these traditions have been largely modified, if not the feelings about the Arch. The Jewish community of Rome even held a parade beneath it in May of 1948 when the state of Israel was recognized. But I’m still debating. > [Titus's Arch, A Jewish Perspective](http://www.jewishmag.com/174mag/jewish_rome/jewish_rome.htm)