Column of the Goths

Coordinates: 41°0′52.2″N 28°59′7.6″E / 41.0145°N 28.985444°E / 41.0145; 28.985444

The Column of the Goths.

The inscription on the column's plinth is now virtually illegible.

The Column of the Goths (Turkish: Gotlar Sütunu) is Roman victory column dating to the 3rd or 4th century AD in Gülhane Park, Istanbul, Turkey. ^[1]

History

The name of the 18.5 metre high free-standing Proconnesian marble pillar which is surmounted with a Corinthian capital derives from a Latin inscription at its base, commemorating a Roman victory over the invading Goths: FORTUNAE REDUCI OB DEVICTUS GOTHOS ("To Fortuna, who returns by reason of victory over the Goths"), which has been shown to have replaced an earlier Latin inscription.^[1] The dating and original dedication of the column are uncertain.

Most likely, the column was erected to honor the victories of either Claudius II Gothicus (r. 268-270) or Constantine the Great (r. 306-337), both of whom are noted for achieving victories over the Goths. According to Byzantine historian Nicephorus Gregoras (c. 1295-1360), the column was once surmounted by a statue to Byzas the Megarian, the semi-legendary founder of Byzantium. Other sources mention a statue of the goddess Tyche, now lost.

At any rate, it represents the oldest monument of the Roman era, possibly preceding the foundation of Constantinople, still extant in the city. ^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Mango (2000), p. 177
2. ^ The Goths Column | Governorship of Istanbul site

Sources

• Mango, Cyril (2000). "The Triumphal Way of Constantinople and the Golden Gate". Dumbarton Oaks Papers 54: 173–188. doi:10.2307/1291838. JSTOR 1291838. http://www.doaks.org/publications/doaks_online_publications/DOP54/DP54ch9.pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 

External links

Media related to Column of the Goths at Wikimedia Commons