Column of the Goths

The Column of the Goths (Turkish: Gotlar Sütunu) is Roman victory column dating to the third or fourth century A.D. It stands in what is now Gülhane Park, Istanbul, Turkey.[1]

Column of the Goths in Gülhane Park
The inscription on the column's plinth is now virtually illegible.

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 still extant in the city,[2] possibly going back to the city's history as Byzantium and preceding its refoundation as Constantinople.

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References
  1. Mango (2000), p. 177
  2. The Goths Column | Governorship of Istanbul site Archived 2008-12-06 at the Wayback Machine

Sources
  • Mango, Cyril (2000). "The Triumphal Way of Constantinople and the Golden Gate" (PDF). Dumbarton Oaks Papers. 54: 173–188. doi:10.2307/1291838. JSTOR 1291838. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2009-07-08.

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