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JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BENOIST/CC-BY-2.5

COLOSSAL CONSTANTINE. This larger-than-life marble head depicts the Roman emperor Constantine (A.D. 272-337). It was once part of a giant statue, called the Colossus of Constantine, erected in the Basilica of Maxentius near the Roman Forum. While the head itself measures more than 8 feet tall, the entire statue—of Constantine seated on a throne—would have been about 40 feet tall. The statue’s head, arms, and legs were made of marble, and its trunk consisted of a brick core, wooden framework, and metal covering—likely made to look as though he were wearing armor. The surviving portions of the Colossus are on display at the Capitoline Museums in Rome.