The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a Roman victory column located in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy. A Doric column adorned with a detailed spiral relief, it was built in honor of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and modeled after Trajan's Column. Dedicated to the emperor and his military campaigns during the Barbarian Wars, the monument stands as a te…
The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a Roman victory column located in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy. A Doric column adorned with a detailed spiral relief, it was built in honor of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and modeled after Trajan's Column. Dedicated to the emperor and his military campaigns during the Barbarian Wars, the monument stands as a testament to his reign from 161 to 180 AD. Although few primary sources from his time directly reference the column, many of his documented military deeds are illustrated in its reliefs. The monument was erected to honor Aurelius's memory and designed with grandeur to commemorate his accomplishments. The column's frieze, approximately 367 feet long, spirals upward 21 times, depicting the emperor’s campaigns against the Germanic and Sarmatian tribes. The Romans referred to the wars north of the Danube as Bellum Germanicum or bellum Marcomannicum. The column most likely served a dual purpose: celebrating Aurelius's military achievements and possibly serving as his funerary monument. Its construction likely began after his death in 180 AD and was completed around 193 AD, under the reign of Septimius Severus.
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