Column of Phocas

The Phocas column ( ital: Colonna di Foca ) is a Roman victory column in Corinthian style from Carrara marble. She is standing in the Roman Forum in Rome and was at the behest of the Exarch of Ravenna, Smaragdus, built in the year 608 in honor of the Emperor Phocas. The column is considered to be the last public building, which was built during the ancient times to the Roman Forum. At the time she was crowned by a gilded statue of the emperor. The column is 13.60 m high and probably comes originally from a building dating from the 3rd century. Nearby you will find the remains of seven other columns pedestals along the Via Sacra.

During the excavations in 1813 came at the foot of the pedestal an inscription to light:

German translation:

When Phocas column was erected, was of the old glory of the Forum and the Eternal City not much left; the decisive blow had the Gothic war of the Emperor Justinian means of Rome and Italy devastated by 550 and had the late antique structures largely destroyed. Nevertheless illustrates the construction of this column that Rome for the Eastern Roman Emperor in the 7th century had a significant ideological meaning still - so still playing emperor Constans II to 662 with the plan to move his residence in the city. And also the forum, the ancient center of the city at that time was apparently still in use and was considered a suitable place to build such an important monument - only in the following decades it should lose its meaning fully and finally serve as pasture.