Arch of Constantine

(Continued from page one)

On the side, we see Constantine entering the city of Rome in triumph after beating Maxentius. See him in his chariot on the left? (The inscription under it reminds us about a Pope who fixed up the arch).

And on the back, Constantine showed himself giving money to the poor (he's sitting in the middle, and the poor are all in a row, lifting up their arms). Notice the use of colored marble, which is new - earlier arches were just white travertine or marble.

One funny thing about the Arch of Constantine is that a lot of the other carvings, like the round ones that you can see above the rectangular scenes, were taken from other earlier monuments that showed earlier emperors (mostly Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius). Probably these were sculptures that had been in storage, from monuments that had been taken down for some reason. Why did Constantine use these old carvings?

Some people think that by 312 AD, it was hard to find anyone in Rome who was a good stone-carver, so Constantine had to use the old carvings (he recut the heads to look like him). Other people think Constantine needed to save money. But it is also possible that Constantine, as a usurper, just wanted to make a connection to earlier, more legitimate Roman emperors.

Unlike a lot of other Roman monuments, this one is in pretty good shape. Because Constantine was a Christian, the Popes were interested in preserving this arch, which shows the triumph of Christianity over Roman religion. So they paid workmen to take care of this arch, as their inscriptions on the sides show.

(back to page 1)

To find out more about the Arch of Constantine, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:

Ancient Rome: A Guide to the Glory of Imperial Rome, by Jonathan Stroud (2000). A day as a time-travelling tourist in ancient Rome, for kids.

Constantine, by Nancy Zinsser Walworth (1989). A biography for kids.

Roman Art: Romulus to Constantine, by Nancy and Andrew Ramage (4th Edition 2004).The standard textbook.

The Life and Times of Constantine the Great: The First Christian Emperor, by D. G. Kousoulas (2nd edition 2003). A biography of Constantine.