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Column of Antoninus Pius

The Column of Antoninus Pius was erected in honor of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius by his adopted sons and successors, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. It once stood not far from the site of his cremation on the Campus Martius in Rome. The base, made of marble and created by the artist Heraclides, shows the emperor and his wife Faustina being carried to heaven by the winged Genius Aion. The shaft was made of red granite and was already produced in 106 CE, according to a quarry inscription. The base was discovered in 1703 on Piazza Montecitorio and is now displayed in the Vatican Museums.

The marble base of the Antoninus Pius Column with detailed relief scenes, including a winged apotheosis panel and a procession of figures.
Relief-carved marble base of the Antoninus Pius Column, showing apotheosis scenes and a procession of figures.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Carved white stone relief from the Antoninus Pius Column showing figures in classical dress, some on horseback and others standing with staffs.
Intricately carved relief on the Antoninus Pius Column base, with mounted and standing figures in classical attire.
March 2012 © · CC BY 2.0
Relief on the Antoninus Pius Column showing a winged figure rising between eagles, surrounded by draped and seated classical figures.
Detail of the base relief from the Antoninus Pius Column, with a winged figure ascending among classical figures and eagles.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Line drawing of a coin showing the Antoninus Pius Column topped by a standing figure.
Engraving of the Antoninus Pius Column shown on a Roman coin.
1889 © · Public domain
An aerial view of a Roman city scale model with a prominent white column in an open plaza, representing the Antoninus Pius Column area.
A detailed scale model of ancient Rome showing the Antoninus Pius Column rising from a plaza near the Pantheon area.
March 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleColumn of Antoninus Pius
Original Latin nameColumna Antonini Pii
Italian nameLa colonna di Antonino Pio
Alternative nameColumn of Antonine
TypeRoman honorific column

Historical context

Dedicated toAntoninus Pius, the deified Roman emperor; also his wife Faustina the Elder
Date erectedAD 161
Original locationCampus Martius, Rome, near the Ustrinum Antoninorum (cremation site), at the edge of Monte Citorio hill
Commissioned byMarcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, the emperor's successors and adoptive sons

Creator

Base sculptorHeraklides

Discovery and provenance

Evidence for date of manufactureA quarry inscription on the shaft/base indicates it was already made in AD 106
Discovery date1703
Discovery placePiazza Montecitorio, Rome
Discovery circumstancesFound during demolitions and excavations in the Montecitorio area, alongside the Ustrinum Antoninorum
Early evidenceBefore the base was discovered, the column was known only from a sestertius minted by Marcus Aurelius at the time of erection
Sestertius obversePortrait of Antoninus Pius with the inscription DIVUS ANTONINVS
Sestertius reverseThe column with a statue of Antoninus and the inscription DIVO PIO

Physical characteristics

Estimated total heightabout 23 m including the pedestal and statue
Base width3.38 m
Base height2.47 m
Column diameter1.90 m
Column height14.75 m

Materials

Column materialRed Egyptian granite
Base materialWhite Italian marble

Technique

Shaft formSmooth, undecorated shaft

Appearance

Crowning elementStatue of Antoninus Pius

Iconography and meaning

Base reliefsApotheosis of Antoninus Pius and Faustina, carried into heaven by the winged genius Aion; funeral procession of soldiers (decursio funebris); dedicatory inscription
Main relief orientationThe apotheosis scene faced toward the Ustrinum Antoninorum

Location and ownership

Current location of shaft fragmentsVatican Museums
Current location of baseCourtyard outside the entrance to the Vatican Pinacoteca, Vatican Museums
Preserved remainsOnly the base and fragments of the granite shaft survive

History and restoration

Medieval conditionThe base was buried; only about 6 m of the lower shaft projected above ground
Post-discovery conditionThe remains were fully uncovered and left lying on the ground under tents or sheds
Base restorationRestored by Vincenzo Felici in 1706–1708
Base installationPlaced in the centre of Piazza di Montecitorio in 1741 by Ferdinando Fuga
Later transfer of baseMoved to the Vatican Museums in 1787; later installed in Michelangelo's niche in the Cortile della Pigna, then moved to its present location
Damage and destructionThe shaft fragments were damaged by a fire in 1759, and later crumbled; further repair attempts in 1764 were unsuccessful
Reuse of fragmentsFragments of the shaft were reused in 1789 to restore the Montecitorio obelisk
Historical misidentificationIn the 17th century the monument was incorrectly identified as the Column of Marcus Aurelius