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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;lrbguy, post: 3100295, member: 88829&quot;]Returning to the Constantine memorial issue quadriga and hand-of-God type:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Alexandria with S - R high in fields left and right</b></p><p>[ATTACH=full]784523[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>While the hand of God is a new element in the reverse design, the figure in a quadriga has a precedent early in the career of Constantine.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]784526[/ATTACH]</p><p>Though dedicated to honor Constantine by the Roman Senate and given to him&nbsp; not long (3 years) after the defeat of Maxentius at Milvian Bridge, there is some debate as to just when the Arch of Constantine was first erected and by whom, with some scholars dating it back to the time of Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius based on the various old motifs in the decoration of the arches and found in the spandrels (the large 2 meter discs mounted on the face of each side).&nbsp; More likely, old elements were carried over from second century structures.&nbsp; So Wikipedia: &quot;The last of the existing triumphal arches in Rome, it is also the only one to make extensive use of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spolia" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spolia" rel="nofollow">spolia</a>, reusing several major <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relief" rel="nofollow">reliefs</a> from 2nd century imperial monuments, which give a striking and famous stylistic contrast to the sculpture newly created for the arch.&quot;&nbsp; The precise date of the dedication of the finished arch is given in an inscription in the south attic of the structure.</p><p><br /></p><p>Of particular interest to us is the motif of the spandrel on the eastern face (other end in pic above).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]784528[/ATTACH]</p><p>The scene depicts the rising sun as Apollo (or Sol) driving the horses of the sun, which are configured as a quadriga.&nbsp; Given the fact that at this point in his career Constantine was still an active devotee of Sol Invictus, while also supporting Christianity, the motif of this spandrel could well have been a new device recently sculpted and added to the arch.&nbsp; In spirit it is an active depiction of the forward aspirations and dominance Constantine sought to make characteristic of his imperial reign.</p><p><br /></p><p>In converting this central image to a posthumous figure of Constantine himself, as in fulfillment of his life aspirations, the auxiliary figures above and below the quadriga disappear on the coins, the upper figure being replaced by the hand of God which descends upon the late lamented figure of Constantine.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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