List of Roman victory columns

This is a list of Roman victory columns. Roman triumphal columns were either monolithic pillars or composed of column drums; in the later case, these were often hollowed out to accommodate an ancient spiral staircase leading up to the platform on top.

The earliest triumphal column was Trajan's Column which, dedicated in 113 AD, defined its architectural form and established its symbolic value as a political monument alongside the older Roman triumphal arches, providing a lingering model for its successors to this day. The imperial capitals of Rome and Constantinople house the most ancient triumphal columns.

List

All dimensions are given here in metres; it should be noted, however, that it was the Roman foot by which ancient architects determined the harmonious proportions of the columns, and which is thus crucial for understanding their design.[1] The list is sorted by date of erection.

Image Date Monument City Location Height above ground Comment
AD 113 Trajan's Column Rome Trajan's Forum 35.07 m[2] Archetype of victory column
AD 161 Column of Antoninus Pius Rome Campus Martius
Before AD 193 Column of Marcus Aurelius Rome Piazza Colonna 39.72 m[2] Directly modelled on Trajan's Column
Between AD 268 and 337 Column of the Goths Istanbul Gülhane Park
AD 297 Pompey's Pillar Alexandria 26.85 m[3]
AD 330 Column of Constantine Istanbul Forum of Theodosius
Column of Theodosius Istanbul Forum of Theodosius
AD 421 Column of Arcadius Istanbul Forum of Arcadius
AD 455 Column of Marcian Istanbul
AD 543 Column of Justinian Istanbul Square of the Augustaeum Toppled by Ottomans in the 16th century
AD 608 Column of Phocas Rome Roman Forum Last addition to the Forum Romanum

References

  1. ↑ Jones 1993, pp. 23–38.
  2. 1 2 Jones 2000, p. 220.
  3. ↑ Adam 1977, pp. 50f, refers to base, column shaft plus capital.

Sources

Further reading

See also

Media related to Triumph columns at Wikimedia Commons


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