One
of the many triumphal arches in Rome,
The Arch of Constantine was created to
commemorate Constantine’s victory
over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian
Bridge, in 312 AD. During Constantine's
reign, the persecution of Christians ended;
he also moved the capital of the empire
from Rome to Constantinople in 325 AD
(before known as Byzantium, now Istanbul).
Located near the Colosseum the arch faces
the Palatine Hill. It is located on a
route taken by the triumphal processions,
and served as a reminder of the glory
of Rome to any who went beneath its arches.
The arch was constructed in the ancient
Roman Corinthian style and has a sculpted
band over one of its arches; this bears
a representation of the battle it was
erected to commemorate. Many of the sculptures
and etchings on the building are considered
to be somewhat crude, but most consider
the design of the arch itself to be of
good quality.
Examples
of the quality of the sculpture on the
arch can be seen in the sculptured Victories
in the spandrels of the central arch,
the river-gods over the side arches, the
medallions of the rising and setting sun
at the ends, the Victories on the pedestals
of the giallo columns, and the bands over
the side arches. The east end roundel
has a chariot of Helios ascending with
a relief below of the triumphal entry
of Constantine into Rome. The west end
roundel has a chariot of Luna descending
and a relief of Constantine's departure
from Milan. They are considered to be
a excellent example of the type of art
made during Constantine’s time.
The arch itself has been modified many
times, with parts of its surface dating
to the times of Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus
Aurelius.
Arch
of Constantine Travel Links |
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