Arch of Constantine

## Skeletons of Victory: The Millennium Paradox of the Arch of Constantine When the giant shadow of the Colosseum expands behind you, you suddenly encounter this arch blackened by time - it is like a bronze medal inlaid on the artery of the empire, and the three arches swallow and spit out the storms of twenty centuries. Don't be deceived by the mottled appearance: this ancestor of the Western triumphal arch is actually a shocking artistic plagiarism, and each relief is revealing the absurd nature of the game of power. **The Rubik's Cube of Power Made of Reliefs**. Get close to the north column and take a closer look: the top layer is a bear hunting picture from the Hadrian era, the middle layer plagiarizes the war scene of Trajan Forum, and the bottom layer actually appropriates the relief of Marcus Aurelius's captive offering! The carving styles of different dynasties coexist strangely on the door frame - Constantine's craftsmen dismantled the glory of the previous dynasty and collaged it into the coronation robe of the new emperor. As the setting sun dyed the profiles of the soldiers of Trajan's legion golden red, they were stabbing the wild deer of Hadrian's era with spears in their hands, and the absurdity ran through their spines like an electric current: the so-called eternal victory was nothing but a carefully choreographed Inception. **The toes of the angels hung in the cracks of history**. Looking up at the broken monument of the pavilion, four stone statues of Dacian captives were chained and kneeling for a thousand years. Among them, a stubborn fig tree emerged from the crack of the left knee of the captive in the southeast corner! At dusk, the homing swifts flew over the empty eye sockets of the stone statues, and the sound of their wings startled the ripe fruits, and the purple-red juice spread on the ground of the doorway like old blood stains. This wild tree born from the bones of the empire is like the most pungent metaphor: the monument of the conqueror will eventually become the seedbed of life. **The triumphal procession of ghosts under the moonlight**. At midnight, I avoided the crowds and sat alone on the steps of the Arc de Triomphe. When the lights of the Colosseum went out, a miracle happened: the marks on the arch suddenly turned into dragons of torches, and the sound of elephants and chains floated in the wind. The Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, which determined the fate of Christianity, was reproduced here - you can see Constantine's army rushing through the doorway with the La Brand Banner, but the reflection strangely turned into a cross shape. At this time, touching the inner wall of the doorway, the folds of the goddess of victory polished by pilgrims, I don't know when half a modern copper coin was embedded, and the ancient Roman silver dinar coin looked at each other faintly in the moonlight. Before leaving, please look for the mysterious graffiti on the west side of the arch: "omnia vanitas" (everything is empty) engraved by a medieval monk. When the morning light first appeared, this line of small words was as glaring as a dagger next to Constantine's gilded inscription. The most shocking revelation of the Arc de Triomphe lies in the holes beneath its shiny surface - the stolen reliefs, the wild trees in the cracks, the hoofbeats of ghosts, all mock the eternal vanity. And when a new day comes, when a flock of pigeons suddenly soars from the top of the pavilion like a captive on your shoulder, you finally understand from the sound of their wings: all triumphs are temporary, and only time is the ultimate conqueror.

The Arch of Constantine, an ancient building standing in the city of Rome, is like a historical giant that has experienced vicissitudes of life, quietly telling the glory of the past. When I approached it slowly as a tourist, it seemed as if I had traveled through time and space and stepped into a legendary era of war. From a distance, the Arch of Constantine is tall and solemn. Its magnificent outline casts a huge and deep shadow under the reflection of the sun, adding a solemn atmosphere to this land. Many tourists, like me, stood not far away and were deeply attracted by its majestic momentum. They stopped and looked up at this building that carries a thousand years of history, with their eyes full of awe and curiosity about history. Approaching the Arch of Triumph, you can clearly see its exquisite stone carvings. Every stone seems to be given life, vividly showing the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Rome. The reliefs on the arch are delicate and vivid, depicting the heroic scenes of war and the heroic postures of heroes. They waved their swords and charged forward, their majestic momentum made people's blood boil. A tourist from France couldn't help but sigh: "These carvings are amazing! It seems that every knife can feel the passion and fighting spirit of the soldiers back then. The fearless spirit they showed in the battle is shocking." And those scenes depicting victory and peace are filled with peace and joy, as if showing the glory and honor of the ancient Roman Empire to the world. A British couple with a child smiled and said to the child: "Baby, look at these paintings. There was once a powerful empire that created such a great achievement. We should learn from their bravery and wisdom." The child also looked at it curiously, with a yearning for history in his eyes. Walking slowly along the Arc de Triomphe, the stone slabs under my feet carry countless footprints. Perhaps there were triumphant generals and mighty soldiers who walked here. They cheered and saluted people with a victorious smile. And now, I also follow their footsteps and feel the historical weight of this building. The surrounding walls are also covered with exquisite carvings. An Italian local resident said with emotion: "I grew up near here since I was a child. The Arch of Constantine is like an old friend to me. Every time I see it, I feel extremely proud that our country has such a great cause." Tourists were also infected by his emotions and immersed in this ancient and great atmosphere. Standing in the center of the Arch of Constantine, looking up, the sky and the arch form a beautiful picture. The sun shines through the arch, casting mottled light and shadow, as if telling the story of the years. An American tourist immersed in this wonderful atmosphere said: "Here, time seems to be still, I feel the pulse of history, and the awe of civilization arises in my heart." At this moment, many tourists, like me, with awe of history, quietly feel the unique charm of this building. As the sun gradually sets, the afterglow dyes the Arch of Constantine into a golden color. It looks more mysterious and charming in this warm evening breeze.

It's amazing. I was touched that this was preserved for a long time and loved by the citizens. I just thought it was such a shame that our country's Sungnyemun was like this. ㅜㅠ

The attraction was under maintenance when I went there, but there is another good one near the Roman Forum.

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Ancient Rome dedicated to Constantine the Great. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. The arch spans between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill, across the archway that was the route that victorious military leaders took after entering the city in triumph. It was dedicated in 315 AD and is the largest triumphal arch in Rome, constructed of brick-faced concrete paved with marble.

The Arch of Constantine was built in 315 to commemorate the victory of Emperor Constantine over Emperor Maxentius in unifying the Roman Empire. The sculptures on it are exquisite and magnificent. After thousands of years, it is now in ruins, but it still stands in the wind and rain, and together with the ancient Roman Colosseum, it witnessed the glory of Rome. In those days, Napoleon came to Rome and was greatly impressed by this Arc de Triomphe. Later, he built the Arc de Triomphe in Paris based on it. There were 21 triumphal arches in ancient Rome, and only 3 remain in Rome today. The Arch of Constantine is one of them, and the other two are located in the Roman Forum. The front of the Arch of Constantine is always crowded with tourists, and it is not easy to take pictures. You can go around the back after visiting the Colosseum and choose a good angle to take pictures.

The Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum are a combined ticket. You can see it when you come out of the Colosseum. It is one of the three existing triumphal arches in Rome and the most famous one. A thick and large door stands alone, as if it is out of tune with the surrounding scene. This is the Arch of Constantine.