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Arch of Constantine

 

Dedicated to him in honour of the great victory gained over Maxentius at the Pons Milvius, now called the Ponte Molle, situated about two miles beyond the Porta del Popolo. Seen from a short distance, adn taken as a whole, it presents the appearance of a grand work of art and architecture combined; but examined in detail, it is found to be a most remarkable piece of architectural patchwork. The inscriptions relate to Constantine, but the greater part of the sculpture belong to the time of Trajan, and illustrate events in his reign; some also belong to an intervening period-possibly to the time of the Gordians.
It has three archways, that in the centre being larger than the others; and is ornamented on each front by four Corinthian columns of Numidian marble-giallo antico-above each of which is a statue of a Dacian prisoner, and between the statues are the inscriptions over the central, and two alto-reliefs over each side archway. These statues and alto-reliefs belonged to an arch erected to the Emperor Trajan, as did also the circular bas-reliefs on each end. These latter originally formed one piece of sculpture, which was cut in two to adapt it to the ends of this arch. Whether the arch erected to Trajan was destroyed to afford materials for this, or through some other cause, we have no means of ascertaining, but the beauty of the architectural proportions would suggest, that in addition to the materials being utilised, the original design by Apollodorus was closely followed. The bas-reliefs on the inside of the central arch are conjectured to be of the time of the Gordians. The remainder of the sculptures are of the time of Constantine, and those immediately over the side arches illustrate events during his reign. The lower portion of the column, at the angle towards the Temple of Venus and Romae, has been repaired with white marble.