The Column of Jupiter - Mainz
N 50° 00.321 E 008° 16.221
32U E 447714 N 5539480
The more-than- 9-meter high/ 28-foot tall Jupiter Column is a good example which shows how antiquity’s vibrant buildings and monuments can vividly reveal the past.
Waymark Code: WM161C
Location: Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Date Posted: 01/27/2007
Views: 128
The Roman stronghold of castrum Moguntiacum, the precursor to Mainz, was founded by the Roman general Drusus in 13 BC.
Moguntiacum was an important military town throughout Roman times, probably due to its strategic position at the confluence of the Main and the Rhine. The town of Moguntiacus grew up between the fort and the river. The castrum was the base of Legio XIIII Gemina and XVI Gallica (AD 9–43), XXII Primigenia, IIII Macedonica (43–70), I Adiutrix (70-88), XXI Rapax (70-89), and XIIII Gemina (70–92), among others. Mainz was also the base of a Roman river fleet. The city was the provincial capital of Germania Superior.
The inscription at the foot of the column brings light to a turbulent chapter of Roman history during the time of the Emperor Nero. The words “Nero” and “pro salute” are intertwined throughout imploring benefits for Nero’s welfare.
Another facet of life was the co-existence of the Roman and Germanic religious cults which can also be ascertained by reading the columns. Some 28 relief-images portray Roman and Celtic divinities. Originally a statue of Jupiter crowned the column, however, all that remains is but merely a foot, a small finger and fragment of the lightning bolts held in the god’s hand.
The column here is a replica. The original is in the Stone Hall of the Landesmuseum.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Free
Opening days/times: 24/7
Web Site: [Web Link]
Condition: Partly intact or reconstructed
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