DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0173
COLUMNA ANTONINI PII— COLUMNA MAENIA 131
regio, rota colisei should be similarly explained (Jord. ii. 119, 319, 510).
The name was not transferred to the building until about IOOO a.d.1
Columna Antonini Pii : a column, erected in memory of Antoninus Pius
by his two adopted sons, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (CIL vi. 1004).
It stood in the campus Martius, on the edge of the elevation now known
as Monte Citorio, and belonged architecturally to the Ustrinum (q.v.),
being 25 metres north of it with the same orientation. The column was
a monolith of red granite, 14.75 metres in height and 1.90 in diameter, and
was quarried in 106 a.d., as is shown by the masons’ inscription on its
lower end (IG xiv. 2421. 1). It stood on a pedestal of white marble,
surrounded with a grating, and was surmounted by a statue of Antoninus,
as is represented on coins issued after his death (Cohen, Ant. Pius 353-6).
Previous to the eighteenth century the base of the column was entirely
buried, but the lower part of the shaft projected about 6 metres above the
ground. In 1703 the base was excavated, but the shaft lay in the Piazza
Colonna until 1764 when unsuccessful attempts were made to repair it.
Some pieces were used to restore the obelisk of Augustus that is now in
the Piazza di Monte Citorio, and the lower part was taken to the Vatican.
Three of the sides of the pedestal, which is now in the Giardino della
Pigna in the Vatican, are covered with reliefs. The principal one, repre-
senting the apotheosis of Antoninus and Faustina, was turned towards
the Ustrinum. The opposite side bears the dedicatory inscription, and
the reliefs on the other two represent scenes from the decursus equitum
at the deification (Mitt. 1889, 41-48 ; S.Sculpt. 270-3 ; SScR 249-253 ;
LS iii. 145 ; Amelung, Kat. Vat. i. pp. 883-893).
Columna Bellica : a small column standing in an open area beside the
temple of Bellona in the campus Martius. A soldier of Pyrrhus had been
forced to buy this spot of ground in order that it might represent foreign
soil, and the column represented a boundary stone over which the fetial
cast his spear when war was to be declared in due form against a foreign
foe (Ov. Fast. vi. 205-9 1 Serv. Aen. ix. 52 ; Fest. 33 ; Placidus 14
(Deuerl.)). This act is said to have been performed as late as the time of
Marcus Aurelius (Cass. Dio lxxi. 33).
Columna Lactaria : a column in the forum holitorium, mentioned only
by Festus (118), who says that it was so called quod ibi infantes lacte
alendos deferebant (cf. also Aedes Pietatis in foro Holitorio). Its
base may have been adorned with reliefs which suggested or bore out
its name (Eranos, 1923, 38-40 ; cf. HJ 510).
Columna Maenia : a column erected in 338 b.c. in honour of C. Maenius,
the victor in the naval battle at Antium .(Plin. NH xxxiv. 20), which
stood near the basilica Porcia and the Career (Plin. NH vii. 212 ; Cic.
div. in Caec. 50 ; pro Sest. 18 and schol. Bob. ad loc. ; Plut. Cato min. 5).
Another tradition, probably false, attributed the column to a later
1 This is now Professor Hulsen’s view (p. 6, n. 1); see BC 1926, 53-64.
regio, rota colisei should be similarly explained (Jord. ii. 119, 319, 510).
The name was not transferred to the building until about IOOO a.d.1
Columna Antonini Pii : a column, erected in memory of Antoninus Pius
by his two adopted sons, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (CIL vi. 1004).
It stood in the campus Martius, on the edge of the elevation now known
as Monte Citorio, and belonged architecturally to the Ustrinum (q.v.),
being 25 metres north of it with the same orientation. The column was
a monolith of red granite, 14.75 metres in height and 1.90 in diameter, and
was quarried in 106 a.d., as is shown by the masons’ inscription on its
lower end (IG xiv. 2421. 1). It stood on a pedestal of white marble,
surrounded with a grating, and was surmounted by a statue of Antoninus,
as is represented on coins issued after his death (Cohen, Ant. Pius 353-6).
Previous to the eighteenth century the base of the column was entirely
buried, but the lower part of the shaft projected about 6 metres above the
ground. In 1703 the base was excavated, but the shaft lay in the Piazza
Colonna until 1764 when unsuccessful attempts were made to repair it.
Some pieces were used to restore the obelisk of Augustus that is now in
the Piazza di Monte Citorio, and the lower part was taken to the Vatican.
Three of the sides of the pedestal, which is now in the Giardino della
Pigna in the Vatican, are covered with reliefs. The principal one, repre-
senting the apotheosis of Antoninus and Faustina, was turned towards
the Ustrinum. The opposite side bears the dedicatory inscription, and
the reliefs on the other two represent scenes from the decursus equitum
at the deification (Mitt. 1889, 41-48 ; S.Sculpt. 270-3 ; SScR 249-253 ;
LS iii. 145 ; Amelung, Kat. Vat. i. pp. 883-893).
Columna Bellica : a small column standing in an open area beside the
temple of Bellona in the campus Martius. A soldier of Pyrrhus had been
forced to buy this spot of ground in order that it might represent foreign
soil, and the column represented a boundary stone over which the fetial
cast his spear when war was to be declared in due form against a foreign
foe (Ov. Fast. vi. 205-9 1 Serv. Aen. ix. 52 ; Fest. 33 ; Placidus 14
(Deuerl.)). This act is said to have been performed as late as the time of
Marcus Aurelius (Cass. Dio lxxi. 33).
Columna Lactaria : a column in the forum holitorium, mentioned only
by Festus (118), who says that it was so called quod ibi infantes lacte
alendos deferebant (cf. also Aedes Pietatis in foro Holitorio). Its
base may have been adorned with reliefs which suggested or bore out
its name (Eranos, 1923, 38-40 ; cf. HJ 510).
Columna Maenia : a column erected in 338 b.c. in honour of C. Maenius,
the victor in the naval battle at Antium .(Plin. NH xxxiv. 20), which
stood near the basilica Porcia and the Career (Plin. NH vii. 212 ; Cic.
div. in Caec. 50 ; pro Sest. 18 and schol. Bob. ad loc. ; Plut. Cato min. 5).
Another tradition, probably false, attributed the column to a later
1 This is now Professor Hulsen’s view (p. 6, n. 1); see BC 1926, 53-64.