Column of Constantine
Çemberlitaş
The Column of Constantine was once one of the most important monuments in Byzantine Constantinople. It is also virtually the only remaining trace of the city’s founder, Constantine. While it is now only a stump of its former self, it originally served as the base for a gigantic statue of Constantine in the grand circular forum of his newly founded city. Erected by Constantine after becoming sole emperor in 324, it occupied a central place in the history of Constantinople for many centuries.
The Column of Constantine was at the heart of Constantinople. It had a central location in Constantinople, standing along the Mese, the city’s main street, in the middle of the city’s main forum, the circular Forum of Constantine. Being located at the top of the second highest hill of the peninsula, the column was visible from many vantage distant points. Furthermore it played a role in imperial ideology as it was on the route of the triumphal procession, which started at the Golden Gate and ended at the Great Palace complex. The column and its statue became a major symbol of Constantinople, as it is depicted in the Tabula Peutingeriana, an ancient Roman map dating perhaps to the 4th century.
The column was erected when Constantine expanded Byzantium through a series of major construction works between the years 324 and 330. It is made Egyptian porphyry, which was a highly prized imperial purple stone reserved exclusively for members of the imperial family by the 4th century. While it is now almost 35 meters tall, it might have been around 37 meters tall or even taller. It consists of several cylindrical blocks or drums joined together by a hoop imitating a laurel crown that hid the joints. Six drums are visible today, but originally there seems to have been seven drums. One of them is now walled up in the base, which was added to reinforce the column after fire in 1779. Its Turkish name, Çemberlitaş (“ringed stone”), refers to the metal hoops added in the 16th century to stabilize the column due to the threat of earthquakes. A drawing from the Freshfield Album (1574) depicts the platform with a series of steps topped by a pedestal, while another drawing by Melchior Lorick (1561) seems to depict the pedestal with figurative decoration. Excavations in 1929-1930 exposed the steps below the column and provided access to the original pedestal and determined its dimensions.
During the reign of Alexius I Komnenos, the statue of Constantine was knocked to the ground by a violent wind in 1106, causing casualties. It seems that it originally had a Corinthian capital, but this was damaged when the statue fell. It was subsequently repaired by Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180) and topped with a cross. The emperor also had a commemorative inscription placed under the column, reading: Manuel, the pious ruler, restored this God’s work destroyed by time. The cross was likely removed when the Ottomans captured the city in 1453. It was also one of the many talismans listed by Evliya Çelebi in the Ottoman era. According to his account, it was built 140 years before the era of Alexander the Great and Constantine placed a talisman on it in the form of starling. Once a year, it flapped its wings and “brought all the birds in the air to the place, each with three olives in his beak and talons”.
The Statue of Constantine
The statue of Constantine seems to have been a very large statue that became one of the major symbols of imperial power in Constantinople. It even seems to have become a symbol of the city itself. While the details are debated, various account allow for us to have a general idea of what it looked like. Nonetheless the exact depiction of Constantine is not completely clear and its significance can even be controversial, leading directly to the question of Constantine’s religious status. There is also the question of its origin. It is unknown whether it was newly cast or a reused statue, though some accounts record it originated in Troy or Athens.
Sol Invictus (the “Unconquered Sun”) became Constantine’s favored god from 310 onward and regularly appeared on his coins until 325. It seems that the statue of Constantine resembled the image of Sol Invictus as appearing on his coin. Interestingly it reportedly faced east, towards the rising sun. The Tabula Peutingeriana depicts Constantine in the nude, though some have suggested the statue was dressed in military attire. It seems to recall imperial colossi, such as the Colossus of Nero in Rome (that gave the Colosseum its name). Records indicated Constantine bore a radiant crown adorned. In addition he held a spear or possibly a scepter in the right hand and in the left hand a globe that was surmounted by a winged Victory, Tyche of Constantinople or possibly a cross. The spear (or scepter) reportedly fell after an earthquake in 557, while the globe seems to have fallen off in 869.
Since the details of the statue are not certain, it is impossible to firmly interpret its significance. However if the statue was modeled on the sun god, then it has important implications. This statue suggests the Constantine viewed his profession of Christianity and his self-representation as the sun god were compatible through his entire reign. It also indicates that he continued the practice of depicting the emperor has a heroic-divine figure. Placing this ambiguous statue at the center of the New Rome does not seem to make his new capital the radical counterpoint to the pagan Old Rome as it is sometimes held.
The Statue and the Founding of Constantinople
The statue of Constantine in the Forum of Constantine was recorded as playing an important role in the inaugural ceremony of the foundation of Constantinople. A gilded wooden statue, which seems to have been a replica of the original statue, also was important in celebrating the anniversary of the official founding of Constantinople on May 11, 330.
We are told that the ceremonies for founding the city of Constantinople were in two phases. First, there was an official procession on the Mese that ended in the Forum of Constantine, when the statue and holy relics were placed on the Column. The festive procession was composed of Christians, led by priests, chanting hymns and entrusting Constantinople to God’s care with the words of a prayer.
The second phase of the foundation ceremony, called pompa circensis (“circle parade”) that took place in the Hippodrome on May 11, 330. On the command of Emperor Constantine himself, this ceremony was repeated annually on the same day in order to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the city. A gilded wooded statue, possible a replica of the one on the column, was solemnly brought in a chariot into the hippodrome. It was accompanied with soldiers holding white candles. The chariot carrying the statue circled the hippodrome and stopped in front of the imperial box, where the currently reigning emperor rose and gave a deep bow before the statue. This was followed by the people chanted hymns. It ended with the chariot carrying the statue, starting a triumphal run, setting off from carceres, circling the spina and coming to a stop in front of the imperial tribune.
Inscription
[Τὸ θ]εῖον ἔργον ἐνθάδε φθαρὲν χρόνῳ καινεῖ Μανουὴλ [ε]ὐσεβὴς αὐτοκράτω[ρ]
Manuel, the pious ruler, restored this God’s work destroyed by time
From poem on the Column of Constantine by Constantine of Rhodes
...that then took second rank,
that column indeed of marvellous porphyry
set up in the forum with good auguries long ago,
55 the one that most powerful Constantine raised up
(for this was the first tall pillar
set up in this city and on its most famous hill,
when in the past this city, desired by the whole world,
took command of the world and the widely-hymned power
60 and grasped the imperial crown,
and the sceptre and the diadem of Rome).
It bears the very great and marvellous statue of a man
on its shoulders, as does Atlas the arc of heaven,
the gloriously-triumphant and wise Constantine
65 who first strengthened the worship of Christ
and the same who first fortified this city
and first set up this porphyry pillar
and also this great statue of a man
that shines brightly with its gold on the entire city.
70 He wrote on it these four lines:
‘You, O Christ, are Emperor and Lord of the world;
to You, I hand over this city as your servant,
and its sceptre and all the power of Rome.
Guard her, and preserve her from all harm.’
75 And he also placed at the base of the pillar
twelve woven and plaited withy baskets
which were previously witnesses of the wonders,
the miracle-working of those five loaves
that fed the five thousand,
80 excluding the women and virtuous children,
so that the city might be abundant in resources
and might never in any way be in need of bread.
This column is a conspicuous sight
and its great splendour equalling the stars
85 is an adornment to those at home and a wonder to strangers,
both a joy and a glory for the whole world,
which ever astonishes my heart
and does not allow my very tongue to be silent
whenever I behold these works filled with wonder.
Constantinople from Tabula Peutingeriana
Bronze statuette (Constantine as Sol?)
From The Patria (Hesychios of Miletus)
In his time [Constantine], the water supply channel was also added to the city. In addition they built the two arches at the so-called Forum and the conspicuous porphyry column, on which is set [the statue of] Constantine, whom we see shining like the sun upon the citizens.
Forum of Constantine depicted on the Column of Arcadius
From the Freshfield Album (1574)
From the history of Zosimus
Constantine built a circular forum where the gate used to be and surrounded it with double-roofed porticoes. He set two huge arches of Proconnesian marble opposite each other, through which one could enter the portico of Severus or go out of the old city. To make the city much larger, he surrounded it with a wall fifteen stades beyond the old one, cutting off the whole isthmus from sea to sea.
Arch of Constantine from the Colosseum in Rome
Solidus of Constantine I with Sol (316)
Solidus of Constantine I with Sol (321)
Plan by Mamboury
Relics of the Column
The Column of Constantine was recorded as containing a large number of relics in the plinth and atop the column. Many authors claim that Constantine moved the Palladium, a protective statue of Athena that was first in Troy and later in Rome, to Constantinople and placed it under the Column of Constantine. Christian traditions later records lists of relics connected to the column. The number and variety of these claims, which grew over the centuries, included a portion of the True Cross, baskets from the multiplication of bread, the ax used by Noah to make the ark, the rock from which water sprang at the command of Moses, nails from the Passion of Christ, and wood from the crosses of the two thieves. Some of these traditions clearly involve retelling, such as the account that rays of the radiant crown are the nails of the Passion of Christ. A chapel dedicated to Constantine was later built at the base of the column. The statue became a sort of relic; it was said Constantinople would never fall to any of its enemies as long as the sculpture remained in place.
Sts. Sergius and Bacchus and the Column of Constantine from the Marmara Sea
Forum of Constantine
The Forum of Constantine was once one of the important locations in Constantinople. Built front of the city gate of Byzantium at the top of the second highest hill of the peninsula, it was part of a series of major construction works by Constantine to expanded Byzantium into the new Roman capital. As the central forum of the city, it also had important structures located on site, including the Column of Constantine (at the center), the Senate House (on the northern side) and a nymphaeum (a monumental fountain on the southern side). Later in the late 9th century a small chapel dedicated to Constantine was built at the base of the column.
Built before the city’s official inauguration in 330, the Forum of Constantine was one of the chief ideological spaces for imperial rule. It was central to the celebrations of the founding of the city on the 11th of May and was located on the triumphal procession, which led from the Golden Gate to the Great Palace. The porphyry Column of Constantine was erected at the center of the circular forum and crowned by a large statue of Constantine, which was knocked off the column by a violent wind in 1106.
Unlike the rectangular forums in Rome, the Forum of Constantine was circular in shape. While unique, circular forums do exist, such as the oval forum in Jerash built around the same time. Dyrrachion (modern Durrës) also had a circular forum built towards the end of the 5th century, which might have alluded to the Forum of Constantine.
The Column of Constantine is virtually the only remaining trace of the city’s founder, Constantine. A few minor archaeological finds have also survived, which were excavated in 1930. A section of its foundations were found about 70 meters from the column, suggesting that the circular forum had a diameter of 140 meters. Also among the findings were Proconnesian marble paving slabs. However most of what is known about the Forum of Constantine comes from written records. The forum had had two stories of colonnades and two arches of Proconnesian marble leading along the Mese, the main street of Constantinople.
The Senate House in the Forum of Constantine was one of two in Constantinople - the other one was located near the Augustaion. On the northern side of the forum, it had a porch of porphyry columns. We are told that the Senate had huge bronze doors depicting the gods and giants at war (which might have been brought from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus). It is possible that it housed a gilded statue of Constantine that was central to the city’s anniversary ceremonies celebrated on the 11th of May. On the opposite side of the forum was the nymphaeum, a monumental fountain decorated with a series of statues. Both the Senate House and the nymphaeum were severely damaged by a fire around 464.
The forum was also decorated by a large number of statues. The statue that captured the most attention and is most reliably attested was a colossal bronze Athena standing outside the Senate House. It has been suggested that this statue was the Athena Promachos or Parthenos from the Athenian Acropolis. Several sources also say that Constantine brought the Palladium to Constantinople and placed it under the Column of Constantine. The Palladium was a protective statue that supposedly was first in Troy and later moved to Rome. This was not the only emphasis on Troy; there was also a statue group depicting the Judgment of Paris where the prince of Troy Paris judged which goddess was the most beautiful. There were many other statues, including two bronze female statues on the forum’s western arch which were popularly identified as “the Hungarian” and “the Roman” in the 12th century.
Oval Forum in Jerash
Photo by Azurfrog
Based on map by Magdalino
Christoforo Buondelmonti (c. 1465-1475)
Detail from copy of map by Christoforo Buondelmonti (c. 1485-1490)
Region of Çemberlitaş and the Hippodrome
Matrakçı Nasuh (1533)
From Prospect of Constantinople by Melchior Lorck (1559)
Detail of a map by Vavassore (1520)
Detail of a map by Braun-Hogenberg (1572)
Heinrich Hendrowski (1575-1600)
From the Freshfield Album (1574)
From Dryden Album (17th century)
Heinrich Hendrowski (1575-1600)
From Johannes Löwenklau (late 16th century)
From Salomon Schweigger (1608)
G. Wheler (1729)
From Grelot (1680)
From panorama of Cornelius Loos (c. 1710)
View Of The Column Of Constantine And The Principal Street Of Constantinople
Domenico Pronti (c. 1790s)
Cosimo Comidas (1794)
John Auldjo (1835)
From Panorama of Constantinople by Henry Aston Barker (1813)
W.H. Bartlett (1838)
Gurlitt (1912)
W. J. J. Spry (1906)
Robertson & Beato (1854)
Guillaume Berggren (c. 1875)
Vassilaki Kargopoulo (c. 1875)
Pascal Sébah (1885)
Sébah & Joaillier (1878)
Abdullah Fréres (1880s)
Postcard
Sébah & Joaillier (c. 1890)
Anonymous (c. 1890s)
Martel, Charles (1918)
Christian Paier
Charles W. Cushman (1965)
Indiana University Archives
Istanbul Archaeological Museums
Marble Head of Tiberius
Reused in the Forum of Constantine during the reign of Constantine
1st century AD, Roman
Gorgon capital found at the Forum of Constantine in 1869
References
Porphyry Column of Constantine (Oxford Last Statues of Antiquity)
Primary Sources
Schaff, P. and Wace, H. (ed) Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2: Socrates, Sozomenus. Church Histories
Ridley, R. (trans) Zosimus: New History
Jeffreys, E., Jeffreys, M. and Scott, R. (trans) The Chronicle of John Malalas
Dewing, H. (trans) Procopius: History of the Wars
Whitby, M. and Whitby, M. (trans) Chronicon Paschale 284-628
Cameron, A. and Herrin, J. (ed) Constantinople in the Early Eighth Century: The Parastaseis Syntomoi Chronikai
Mango, C. and Scott, R. (trans) The Chronicle of Theophanes Confessor: Byzantine and Near Eastern History, AD 284-813
Kaldellis, A. (trans) Genesios: On the Reigns of the Emperors
Wahlgren, S. (trans) The Chronicle of the Logothete
Berger, A. (trans) Accounts of Medieval Constantinople: The Patria
Featherstone, M. and Codoñer, J. (trans) Chronographiae Quae Theophanis Continuati Nomine Fertur Liber VI
James, L. (ed) Constantine of Rhodes, On Constantinople and the Church of the Holy Apostles
Moffatt, A. and Tall, M. (trans) Constantine Porphyrogennetos: The Book of Ceremonies
Ryden, L. (trans) The Life of St Andrew the Fool
Kaldellis, A. and Krallis, D. (trans) Michael Attaleiates: The History
Banchich, T. and Lane, E. (trans) The History of Zonaras: From Alexander Severus to the Death of Theodosius the Great
Sewter, E. (trans) Anna Komnene: The Alexiad
Wortley, J. (trans) John Skylitzes: A Synopsis of Byzantine History, 811-1057: Translation and Notes
Magoulias, H. (trans) O City of Byzantium, Annals of Niketas Choniatēs
Majeska, G. (trans) Russian Travelers to Constantinople in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries
Macrides, R., Munitiz, J. and Angelov, D. Pseudo-Kodinos and the Constantinopolitan Court: Offices and Ceremonies
Magoulias, H. (trans) Doukas: Decline and Fall of Byzantium to the Ottoman Turks: An Annotated Translation of Historia Turco-Byzantine
Ball, J. Pierre Gilles: The Antiquities of Constantinople
Kahraman, S. and Dağlı, Y. (ed) Evliya Çelebi. Günümüz Türkçesiyle Evliyâ Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi 1.1, İstanbul
Resources
Column of Constantine/Çemberlitaş Photo Album (Byzantine Legacy Flickr)
Columns and Monuments of Constantinople Photo Album (Byzantine Legacy Flickr)
