A victory column, or monumental column or triumphal column, is a monument in the form of a column, erected in memory of a heroic commemoration, including victorious battle, war, or revolution. The column typically stands on a base and is crowned with a victory symbol, such as a statue. The statue may represent the goddess Victoria; in Germany, the female embodiment of the nation, Germania; in the United States either the female embodiment of the nation Columbia or Liberty; in the United Kingdom, the female embodiment Britannia, an eagle, or a naval war hero depicted as a helmeted woman, wielding a trident, shield and olive branch.
Monumental columns Image Date Monument Country City Location Coordinates Height above ground Comment 478 BC Serpent Column Turkey Istanbul Hippodrome of Constantinople 41.005651 N 28.975113 E 8 m Originally part of a tripod at Delphi 115 BC Heliodorus Pillar India Vidisha Madhya Pradesh, Central India 23.549508 N 77.800093 E Erected around 113 BCE in central India in Vidisha (then known as Besnagar), by Heliodorus, a Greek ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas the court of the Shunga king Bhagabhadra c. 65 Jupiter Column Germany Mainz Landesmuseum Mainz 50.005336 N 8.270532 E 12.5 m Replica displayed in front of the Landtag 113 Trajan's Column Italy Rome Trajan's Forum 41.895836 N 12.484276 E 35.07 m Internal spiral staircase, external helical frieze of reliefs. Tomb of the honorand, Trajan. Archetype of victory column. 161 Column of Antoninus Pius Italy Rome Campus Martius 41.901598 N 12.476285 E 14.75 m Monolithic granite column shaft, c. 14.8 m. Only the base now survives. Before 193 Column of Marcus Aurelius Italy Rome Piazza Colonna 41.900855 N 12.479987 E 39.72 m Internal spiral staircase, external helical frieze of reliefs. Directly modelled on Trajan's Column c. 200 Column at the end of the Via Appia Italy Brindisi Near the port 40.641071 N 17.946787 E 18.74 m Between 268 and 337 Column of the Goths Turkey Istanbul Gülhane Park 41.014515 N 28.985470 E 18.5 m 298–302 Pompey's Pillar Egypt Alexandria Serapeum of Alexandria 31.182512 N 29.896426 E 26.85 mEntirely unconnected with Pompey. Dedicated to Diocletian by Aelius Publius, the governor of Aegyptus, between 298 and 302. Monolithic granite column shaft, 20.75 m. Corinthian capital. Originally topped with a statue of the augustus in porphyry, c. 7 m.
Possibly accompanied by smaller columns honouring of Diocletian's co-emperors. 11 May 330 Column of Constantine Turkey Istanbul Forum of Constantine, Çemberlitaş, Fatih 41.008530 N 28.971270 E 35 m Upper portion of the column has not survived. 330–400Column of Phocas ItalyRomeRoman Forum 41.892474 N 12.484854 E 13.6 m Column originally fourth century, Constantinian dynasty or after; imitating the Column and Forum of Constantine in Constantinople. Monolithic fluted marble column shaft. Corinthian capital.
Rededicated to Phocas by Smaragdus, the Exarch of Italy, in 608 with an inscription and gilded statue of that augustus; last addition to the Forum Romanum. 386–393/'4 Column of Theodosius Turkey Istanbul Forum of Theodosius, Fatihc. 50 m Largest Roman column monument. Internal spiral staircase, external helical frieze of reliefs. Originally topped in 393/'4 with a statue of Theodosius I in bronze.
The statue fell in an earthquake in 480. Rededicated to Anastasius I in 506 with a new bronze statue. Demolished 16th century; precise site in Theodoisus's Forum unknown. c. 400 Iron pillar of Delhi India Delhi Qutb Complex 28.524718 N 77.185014 E 7.12 m It was transferred from Udayagiri or Vidisha to Delhi in the 11th century by Iltutmish the Sultan of Delhi. It was originally erected by the Chandragupta II of the Gupta empire. 401–421 Column of Arcadius Turkey Istanbul Forum of Arcadius, Fatih 41.007736 N 28.943071 Ec. 46.1 m Internal spiral staircase, external helical frieze of reliefs. 21 monolithic column drums. Doric capital. Originally topped with a statue of Arcadius, c. 8.5 m, similar to the statue on the Column of Theodosius.
The statue fell in an earthquake in 740. Demolished 1719; only the base, c. 10.5 m, survives. 450–452 Column of Marcian Turkey Istanbul Forum of Marcian, Fatih 41.015410 N 28.950292 Ec. 16.5 m
(present)Dedicated to Marcian by Tatianus, prefect of Constantinople between 450 and 452. Monolithic granite column shaft, 8.74 m. Corinthian capital. Originally topped with a statue of the augustus, referred to in the inscription and lost at an unknown date. 457–474 Column of Leo Turkey Istanbul Forum of Leo Fatih 41.013313 N 28.984836 E21–26 m Built in the reign of Leo I. Eight marble column drums, decorated with wreaths. Corinthian capital. Originally topped with a statue of the augustus.
Destroyed before the 1540s; fragments remain in the grounds of the Topkapı Palace. The imperial statue on top may survive in Italy as the Colossus of Barletta. 543 Column of Justinian Turkey Istanbul Augustaeum, Fatih Masonry column shaft decorated with wreaths next to Hagia Sophia. Colossal equestrian statue in bronze reused from a Theodosian monument. c. 7 m statue.