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Secondary sourceArtifactc. 478 BC, moved 324 AD

Serpent Column

c. 478 BC, moved 324 AD

An ancient Greek bronze victory monument from Delphi that Constantine moved to the Hippodrome of his new capital, Constantinople.

Constantine relocated this ancient Greek monument to Constantinople, showing how he adorned his new capital with older treasures.

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A twisted bronze column of coiled serpent-like forms, greenish and weathered, stands on a stone base in a circular paved area with a salmon-colored wall. Behind it, a tall obelisk with carved hieroglyphs, a black iron railing, palm trees, and lamp posts are visible under a clear blue sky.
Serpent Column, originally dedicated at Delphi c. 478 BC, moved to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in 324 AD.

About this source

What it is

The Serpent Column is an ancient bronze monument shaped from three intertwined serpents, originally part of a tripod dedicated at Delphi around 478 BC to celebrate the Greek victory over Persia at the Battle of Plataea. Constantine the Great had it moved from Delphi to the Hippodrome of Constantinople in 324 AD. It still stands in Istanbul today, though its serpent heads were lost by the late 17th century.

Why it matters

The column was already nearly 800 years old when Constantine took it. Moving famous monuments from older Greek cities to Constantinople was part of how Constantine decorated and legitimized his new capital, borrowing the prestige of the ancient world for his own city.

Look closer

  • Why might an emperor want to bring ancient monuments from other cities to his new capital?
  • What does it mean to take a monument out of the place it was made for?
  • What is lost when an object like this is moved away from its original context?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Constantine the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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