Arch of Constantine

The largest and most magnificent of Rome's triumphal arches, with a curious history in its sculpture.

TravelCurious Tip

Do like the conquering Roman generals and take the triumphal route through the ancient city, starting at the Arch of Constantine, around the Palatine Hill, through the Arch of Titus and along the Via Sacra.

Constant celebration

The Arch of Constantine is situated at the end of the ancient Roman main street, the Via Sacra, in between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Built in 315 AD, it is the most recent and best-preserved imperial monument to be erected in the area beside and is undoubtedly the most magnificent of the triumphal arches of ancient Rome.

The arch celebrates the victory of the Emperor Constantine I over his rival and co-ruler of the Eastern Empire Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. With this decisive defeat Constantine the Great became the Emperor of both the East and West Empire. The two sides of the arch tell two different stories. The north side of the arch which faces the Colosseum displays images of war and the camps of Constantine’s army; the south face of shows reliefs of what life was supposedly like after the victory of Constantine, with images celebrating peace and humanity.

Mixed messages

Interestingly, by the 4th century the quality and skill of Roman carving and sculpture had significantly declined: the majority of decorative sculpture on the arch was in fact pilfered from earlier monuments and rededicated to Constantine. The four imposing guards standing at the top of the north face of the arch are actually Dacian prisoners, taken from a monument to Trajan. The four reliefs at the bottom originally celebrated the military victories of Marcus Aurelius, and the four round medallions in the middle were taken from a monument to Hadrian and include representations of his lover, Antinous. Similarly the reliefs on the back were intended to honour the military success of Trajan.

The back of the monument displays scenes of Roman gods and goddesses, which is hardly fitting considering Constantine’s fame as the first Christian Emperor - his victory in the battle of the Milvian Bridge was supposedly due to a vision which directed him to fight under the sign of the Cross.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Rome
Colosseum
The Roman Empire’s largest amphitheatre, and one of the world’s most awe-inspiring ancient monuments.
Roman Forum
The political, religious and civic heart of ancient Rome.
Palatine Hill
This hill is where the Roman State began, and where Rome's Emperors used to live. Today it boasts many remains from their magnificent palaces.
Arch of Titus
One of Rome's most iconic triumphal arches, and the model for the Parisian Arc de Triomphe.
Temple of Caesar
Remains of the temple of Julius Caesar.
Curia Julia
The seat of the imperial Senate in the Roman Forum.

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