The Arch of Constantine: Inspired by the Divine

Right next to the Colosseum in Rome stands the Arch of Constantine. Completed AD 312 - 315, it was built to celebrate ten years of the Emperor Constantine’s reign and his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. The arch is undoubtedly the most impressive civic monument surviving from this period. At 69 feet high, this triumphal arch is a key attraction for tourists visiting Rome. And yet this is the first modern book in English on the monument. Iain Ferris analyses the arch and the reign of Constantine himself, as well as discussing the reuse of artworks salvaged from older monuments in its construction, its complex and impressive decoration, and the use of arches as civic commemorative monuments in the Roman world. All of this is set against the broader geographical, chronological and cultural context.