Arch of Constantine

Before you is the Arch of Constantine, standing next to the Colosseum. It was built at the request of the Senate to celebrate Emperor Constantine’s 10 years on the throne and commemorate his great victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. This victory was deeply symbolic, marking a major turning point in Western history. Not long before the battle began, Constantine claimed to have had a vision. He claimed to have seen a Chrismon, a monogram and symbol of early Christianity formed by the first two Greek letters of the word Christ. He also claimed to have heard a voice telling him: “In this sign thou shalt conquer”. Although a pagan like his soldiers, Constantine had this motto written in Latin on all the shields of his army. And so the vastly outnumbered enemy was repulsed and Emperor Maxentius drowned when the bridge collapsed. Constantine then dedicated his victory to the God of Christians, formally forbade their persecution, and converted to their religion which spread rapidly across the Western Roman Empire. This Triumphal Arch was erected in just two years on the so-called Via Triumphalis, which brought the troops back to the Capitol along a special route marking the soldiers’ return to civilian life. Standing 21 metres high and 25 metres wide, it’s the largest arch in the city. It’s crazy to think they built it so fast, but it turns out the craftsmen used old, sculpted pieces taken from other earlier monuments. Regardless, it’s the best-preserved monument of ancient Rome and the most modern of all the triumphal arches built at the time.