Colonna

Ancient Romans liked victory columns even more than they liked Egyptian obelisks.  This one is the Column of Marcus Aurelius to commemorate the Macromannic Wars along the Danube at the northeastern European border of the Roman Empire.

It was during this campaign that Marcus Aurelius — a Stoic and the last of Machiavelli‘s “Five Good Emperors” — wrote his Meditations.  (If you haven’t read it, read it immediately.  If you’ve read it, read it again.)

Richard Harris gives a thoughtful performance as Marcus Aurelius in Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator.