The Column of Marcus Aurelius in Rome was constructed between 176 AD and 193 AD, meaning it took approximately 17 years to complete. It was built to commemorate the Emperor’s successful military campaigns against the Marcomanni and Sarmatians along the Danube. The structure is a masterpiece of Roman engineering, standing nearly 30 meters tall (about 42 meters including the original base). The spiral relief that wraps around the shaft depicts scenes from the wars in incredible detail, though the carving is deeper and more "expressive" than that of its predecessor, Trajan's Column. The long construction period was due to the immense complexity of quarrying the massive Carrara marble blocks, transporting them to the Campus Martius, and the painstakingly detailed work of the sculptors who carved the narrative frieze after the column drums were stacked. In 1589, Pope Sixtus V ordered a restoration that replaced the original statue of Marcus Aurelius on top with one of St. Paul, which is what visitors see in Piazza Colonna today in 2026.