Column of Arcadius

The marble column was historiated with a spiralling frieze of reliefs on its shaft and supported a colossal statue of the emperor, probably made of bronze, which fell down in 740.

[1] Detail of the shaft's and pedestal's decoration is conserved in a series of drawings made in 1574 and 1575 and preserved in the Freshfield Album and which are attributed to the Flemish artist Lambert de Vos (Trinity College, Cambridge).

[1] Above the pedestal's cornice was a plinth of two steps, decorated with eagles at its corners holding garlands with putti above and reclining river gods below.

[12] Above this was a torus carved as an oak wreath bound by a floral filet depicting theatrical masks and mythological hunt scenes involving lions, griffons, and birds.

[1] The next register showed Victories with a trophy approached on either side by Roman soldiers leading captives (west), Senators presenting the annual senatorial tribute, the aurum oblaticium, together with the Tyche of Constantinople and of Rome, each wearing their corona muralis (east) and the co-emperors in armour, affronted and holding Victories standing on globes above bound captives and flanked by ranks of soldiers and statesmen (south).

[1] The third register from the bottom showed the paired emperors in armour leaning on their spears and holding globes, attended by soldiers and officials (west), the emperors in civilian dress as consul, with lictors, soldiers and statesmen (east), and a pair of flying Victories bearing a wreath surrounding a Chi-Rho, each beside a trophy (south).

[1] The fourth, topmost register of carvings showed airborne Victories holding a laurel wreath surrounding a Latin cross, alongside each a putto, and the Sun and Moon in their quadrigae (west), flying Victories holding a tabula emblazoned with a cross, flanked by putti with torches (east), and diverse armour and weapons together with two Chi-Rho banners.