Columna Maenia

Honorary column from 338 BC on the Forum Romanum, erected by Gaius Maenius to celebrate his naval victory at Antium.

The Columna Maenia was an honorary column erected on the Forum Romanum in 338 BC. Gaius Maenius, consul and military commander, had it built to commemorate his victory over the Latin cities at the Battle of Antium. He also adorned the Rostra with the iron rams of six captured Antiate warships, giving the platform its name. The column stood beside the Comitium and the Graecostasis, serving as a visible symbol of military honor at the heart of the Republic. It no longer survives; some historians believe it was part of the atrium of Gaius Maenius's house, later sold to Cato and Flaccus.