In the heart of Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul, stands the Serpent Column—an ancient bronze monument that has witnessed over two millennia of history.
A Greek vase depicting Persian and Greek War
‘To commemorate the Greek victory at Plataea in 479 BC a votive offering was dedicated to Apollo at Delphi, likely cast from the captured bronze weapons and armor of the defeated Persians, the monument represented three serpents, their intertwined bodies forming a serpentine column and their heads, the jaws open, stretched out to support a golden tripod. The tripod was stolen by the Phocians in 355 BC but the bronze column survived, only to be appropriated by Constantine to decorate the central spina of the Hippodrome in his newly founded capital of Constantinople..’ (penelope.uchicago.edu)
We do not know exactly how the original serpentine column supporting the golden tripod looked like, but historians have many guesses which can be seen below.
In 324 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine the Great relocated the column to the Hippodrome of Constantinople , where it became a prominent feature of the city’s public life. As Delphi had been regarded as the center of the world, it is possible that Constantine was claiming this status for his new capital when he moved the Serpent Column to the Hippodrome. (thebyzantine.com)
Ottoman miniatures and visual records of foreign travellers to the Ottoman Empire depict the column with the snake heads but over time, the column’s serpent heads were damaged and eventually lost; one head’s upper jaw is now preserved at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
Ottoman acrobats on the obelisks from Hünername (c. 1530)
Muslim wedding procession at the Hippodrome by Aubry de La Motraye (1727)
One of the snake heads is preserved at the Istanbul Archeological Museum
Despite its age and the loss of its original features, the Serpent Column remains a testament to ancient Greek artistry and the enduring legacy of their victories. In recent years, efforts have been made to preserve and restore this historic monument, ensuring that it continues to stand as a symbol of Istanbul’s rich cultural heritage.
Note that a copy of the original column in Istanbul was installed in Delphi in 2015.
The Serpent Column’s replica in the Apollo Temple in Delphi
