Standing as a testament to Aurelius' military achievements, it offers a visual narrative of his campaigns against Germanic tribes along the Danube River.

Although there aren’t many direct sources from the time of the reign of Marcus Aurelius, many of the emperor's deeds are depicted among the scenes of the monument itself.

Based on common understanding of Roman views on public service, the status of Marcus Aurelius was such that this monument was erected in dedication to his memory and designed with grandeur to represent his accomplishments.

In terms of the topography of ancient Rome, the column stood on the north part of the Campus Martius, in the centre of a square.

The spiral picture relief tells the story of Marcus Aurelius' Danubian or Marcomannic wars, waged by him from 166 to his death.

One particular episode portrayed is historically attested in Roman propaganda – the so-called "rain miracle in the territory of the Quadi", in which a god, answering a prayer from the emperor, rescues Roman troops by a terrible storm, a miracle later claimed by the Christians for the Christian God.

The images are carved less finely than at Trajan's Column, through drilling holes more deeply into the stone, so that they stand out better in a contrast of light and dark.

As villages are burned down, women and children are captured and displaced, men are killed, the emotion, despair, and suffering of the "barbarians" in the war, are represented acutely in single scenes and in the figures' facial expressions and gestures, whilst the emperor is represented as protagonist, in control of his environment.

The symbolic language is altogether clearer and more expressive, if clumsier at first sight, and leaves a wholly different impression on the viewer to the whole artistic style of 100 to 150 as on Trajan's Column.

In the Middle Ages, climbing the column was so popular that the right to charge the entrance fee was annually auctioned,[citation needed] but it is no longer possible to do so today.

Also a bronze statue of the apostle St. Paul was placed on the top platform, to go with that of St. Peter on Trajan's Column (27 October 1588[3]).

(Originally the top platform had a statue of Marcus Aurelius, but it was removed and switched with St.Paul after Christianity took reign as the dominant religion.)

That adaptation also removed the damaged or destroyed original reliefs on the base of garland-carrying victories and (on the side facing the via Flaminia ) representations of subjected barbarians, replacing them with the following inscription mistakenly calling this the column of Antoninus Pius, which is now recognised as lost: The Monument stands 100 roman feet tall total.

The pedestal is made up of large rectangular blocks, with an inscription around the base, a Column with a frieze of the Germanic war north of the Danube, and originally has a bronze statue of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, last replaced with that of St. Paul in the 16th century.

Strong evidence of this is shown when the scenes of the Victoria, Danube Crossing and Miracle Rain are stacked on top of each other.

Marcus Aurelius’ was the last of 5 emperors between the years 96AD-180AD, this was a time of semi-peaceful borders, prosperous growth, and a stable government with leaders with a desire to serve.

The Roman Empire at the time was at the height of its influence and its borders spread far across modern Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The Southern border was south of Rome, across the Mediterranean Sea, and spread into Northern Africa and parts of the Sahara.

Known best for his strategic political and militaristic decisions, as a force to be reckoned with and even despite that he grew up wealthy and in favor of the emperor’s family, he didn’t attain a more selfish attitude but with the mentality to serve for the betterment of his empire.

Interpreting this could represent Commodus’s drive to raise his family to the top of Roman life and to ensure his father’s reign is respected and in turn his as well.

The carvings are deeper and better detailed, scenes that have been directly pulled from the Trajan to the Marcus Aurelius’.

In conclusion, the Column of Marcus Aurelius is a difficult source because of its alteration, but it does help us to define and piece together time in history in 176 and 1588.

The shaft tells us mostly about 176 AD, and Marcus Aurelius and his effect on Rome, and its military in leading them as emperor and commander.

Though the completion of the Column wasn’t until 193 AD, after the Barbarian wars and the death of Marcus Aurelius, it was still placed where the public and Roman soldiers could draw strength and pride.

The feeling of déjà vu would be correct because the scene was carved before on the Column of Trajan and is an exact replica on two imperial monuments.

Since the monument was in the eyes of the public, it had to express a message over the populace and the size and scenes carved into the stone all play a factor in its meaning and symbolism in every aspect, to learning more about Roman history during this time.

Indeed, there is a story to the effect that Arnuphis, an Egyptian magician, who was a companion of Marcus, had invoked by means of enchantments various deities and in particular Mercury, the god of the air, and by this means attracted the rain…When the rain poured down, at first all turned their faces upwards and received the water in their mouths; then some held out their shields and some their helmets to catch it, and they drank and fought at the same time; and some becoming wounded, actually gulped down the blood that flowed into their helmets along with the water.

So intent indeed, were most of them on drinking that they would have suffered severely from the enemy’s onset, had not a violent rainstorm and numerous thunderbolts fallen upon the ranks of the foe.

Some wounded themselves in order to quench the fire with their blood, and others rushed over to the side of the Romans, convinced that they alone had the saving water; in any case Marcus took pity on them.

The information received from Adrastus, which makes him so significant is that he requested to build a home permanent structure on the Campus Martis, after the construction was said to be completed.