Head of Constantine the Great, York. This part of what would havebeen a much larger marble sta
Head of Constantine the Great, York. This part of what would havebeen a much larger marble statue. It was found in Stonegate (amedieval street in York), sometime before 1823.Stonegate ran over part of the Roman legionary fortress of Eboracum,so the statue probably was originally erected there. The fragment is42cm high, 27cm wide, 30cm deep, and the diameter of the neck (as itis now) is 17.5cm. The original statue would have been twicelife-sized. It was made of a coarse, crystalline marble, possiblyfrom Italy.The marble head may actually be a reworked version of an earlieremperor, probably Hadrian. The original statue may have been builtin the 100s AD, and then remodelled around 306 AD, when Constantinewas proclaimed Emperor in York.Constantine seems to have considered England to be one of thespiritual centres of his reign (he converted to Christianity in 312). York was refashioned in honour of his elevation, and he visitedEngland three more times. London may have been renamed Augusta inhis honour for a while. -- source link
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