The Columna Maenia was an honorary column erected in the

Comitium The Comitium () was the original open-air public meeting space of Ancient Rome, and had major religious and prophetic significance. The name comes from the Latin word for "assembly". The Comitium location at the northwest corner of the Roman Foru ...

of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

by Gaius Maenius in 338 BC for his victory over the Latins at the Battle of Antium. Gaius Maenius also adorned the

Rostra The Rostra () was a large platform built in the city of Rome that stood during the republican and imperial periods. Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the Comitium towards the senate house and deliver orations to t ...

, with the naval rams (''rostra'' in Latin) of six ships from the Antiate fleet confiscated by Rome. The column was beside the Rostra and the Graecostasis. Some historians believe the column to be from the atrium of Gaius Maenius's home which was sold to Cato and

Flaccus Flaccus was a ''cognomen'' of the ancient Roman plebs, plebeian family Fulvii, Fulvius, considered one of the most illustrious ''gens, gentes'' of the city. Cicero and Pliny the Elder state that the family was originally from Tusculum, and that me ...

as mentioned by Pseudo-Asconius (''Caec''. 50). The column was used as part of an elaborate timing device which determined the final hour of the day when the sun was viewed from the

Curia Hostilia The Curia Hostilia was one of the original senate houses or "curiae" of the Roman Republic. It was believed to have begun as a temple where the warring tribes laid down their arms during the reign of Romulus (r. c. 771–717 BC). During the early ...

passing the column, moving towards the Carcer. Pliny states that the '' accensus consulum'' announced the ''supremam horam'', the time when the sun had moved downward from the Columna Maenia to the Carcer. This was done from the same location as the call for midday, the Curia. The column was south of the place of observation or on a line which passed from the Rostra and Graecostasis. Various petty criminals were bound to the column as a form of public punishment.

References

{{coord, 41.8930, N, 12.4846, E, source:wikidata, display=title Roman Forum Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Rome Rome R. X Campitelli