Column Of Phocas In The Roman Forum

You might blink and miss it. It’s just a solitary column in the middle of the Roman Forum.

The Column of Phocas was the last monument to be erected in the Roman Forum. It’s a triumphal column in honor of Phocas, a 7th century Byzantine emperor who ruled Rome from the east.

The column was supposed to represent a unified Rome, a new dawn for the Roman world. But that was a delusion. Rome was on its way out.

And so was Phocas. He murdered his predecessor to usurp the throne in 602. Two years after this column was erected, he met his own grim fate.

In essence, this column symbolizes the last breath of the western Roman Empire.

Column of Phocas
Column Of Phocas

Guide to The Column Of Phocas

What Is The Column Of Phocas?

In 602 AD, a new emperor seized power in Constantinople, hoping to reunite the western and eastern parts of the Roman Empire. He proclaimed himself the sovereign of a new empire.

To mark this eternal glory, and remind Romans of a burgeoning new era, Emperor Phocas did the classic thing — called for a triumphal column on the Via Sacre in his own honor.

The column is a Corinthian-style column made of white marble, approximately 45 feet tall. It once featured a richly detailed capital at the top, with elegant acanthus leaves carved with precision.

Atop the column, a gilded bronze statue of Emperor Phocas once stood prominently. The statue likely depicted him in full imperial regalia, possibly holding symbols of authority such as a scepter or globe.

what the Column of Phocas might have looked like
what the Column of Phocas might have looked like

The Column of Phocas is, admittedly, a bit of a hodgepodge. Its base once held a statue of Emperor Diocletian—the man who divided the Roman Empire into two halves.

The column itself? Borrowed from an even older building.

But perfection wasn’t the point. The message it sent was loud and clear: there’s a new emperor in charge, and everyone better fall in line.

This column is more than just a monument—it’s a historical full stop. As the last structure added to the Roman Forum, it signaled the end of nearly 1,500 years of monumental building in Rome, closing the chapter on an era of grandeur.

what Emperor Phocas may have looked like
what Emperor Phocas may have looked like

What Does It Symbolize?

So, contrary to Phocas’ grand pronouncements, the Column of Phocas didn’t herald a new beginning. It signaled the end.

As Roman power in the west waned and then collapsed, the power shifted to the east, with Constantinople as the base of operations. A new crop of ambitious rulers took over.

A long steady decline of the western empire ended in 476, when the last wester emperor was deposed, replaced by a strongman who called himself king.

He didn’t last either, just like Rome. It was a hollow shell of its former self. it was still the symbolic heart of the empire, but not much more than that.

One would think something as momentous as the collapse of the western empire would have had a good send off. But it went out with a whimper, not a bang.

Roman Forum with the Column of Phocas

Without the western half, the sovereignty of the east was diminished and challenged. For a century they tried, sometimes failing and sometimes succeeding, to keep the whole thing together.

The one who came closest to saving the empire was Emperor Justinian, who ruled from 527 to 565 AD. Just as he was making some headway in trying to stabilize and regain the west, a plague hit Constantinople.

The armies were sapped. The traditional borders melted away.

And, unfortunately, Justinian’s successor was crazy. He chose an heir before he completely lost his marbles. But that heir had another heir with a scheming general, our very own Phocas.

He declared a rebellion, took his army, marched on the city, and deposed the Emperor Maurice.

Maurice had actually been a decent emperor. Phocas offered him no mercy, executing his six sons in front of him.

Column of Phocas and Temple of Saturn

Phocas was more interested in naked power than policy, that was clear.

His brutal rule and failure to tackle critical challenges like invasions and internal unrest quickly made Phocas one of the most despised leaders in Byzantine history.

Ironically, the Romans erected a monument in his honor—a curious gesture for such a reviled figure. Perhaps it wasn’t so much a tribute to his reign as a hollow attempt to cling to the fading notion of imperial unity.

By the time the column was completed, its message was already outdated. The dream of a unified Roman Empire was dead, its remnants scattered.

Far from symbolizing the eternal glory of its namesake, the column stands as a poignant marker of Rome’s decline. A final chapter in a story that had spanned centuries.

Roman Forum

Phocas himself didn’t live to enjoy his questionable legacy.

Just two years after the column’s dedication, in 610 AD, he was overthrown and executed by Heraclius, who rose to power through a revolt launched from North Africa. The column endures, but its emperor was consigned to history’s shadows.

After Heraclius captured Constantinople, Phocas was executed.

According to historical accounts, Heraclius personally confronted Phocas before his death and reportedly asked, “Is this how you have governed the empire?” to which Phocas allegedly replied, “And will you govern it better?”

Phocas had a brutal death, multilated and burned. His gold statue was ripped down from the column and melted down.

Byzantine-style mosaic representation of Emperor Phocas
Byzantine-style mosaic representation of Emperor Phocas

But the column and pediment still stand just where they did more than 1,400 years ago.

As you walk through the Roman Forum, you are left to reflect on the greatest of what Romans built and the enormity of what they accomplished. Although Rome status as Caput Mundi is long gone, the city’s prestige is immortal.

Oh, and Phocas? He did one good thing in his reign.

He donated the Pantheon to the pope for its conversion into a church. Given the church’s mania for ripping down anything remotely pagan, this gift was a big deal. The Pantheon might not still exist otherwise.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the Column of Phocus. You may find these other Rome travel guides useful:

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