Caesarea obelisk
Encyclopedia
The Caesarea obelisk is a red granite Obelisk
12 meters high (10.5 + 1.4 m), which was erected in the hippodrome
of Herod the Great
's new-built capital of Judea
, Caesarea Maritima. The obelisk seems to have been erected after Herod's time, in the 2nd century CE. The obelisk was discovered in 1980, broken in three sections and buried in the ruins of the hippodrome, where it must originally have been a major feature. It was restored and reerected in 2001.
Trophy obelisks were erected in similar urban contexts by Herod's Roman patrons. An obelisk erected in the Hippodrome of Constantinople
remains in situ. Another, formerly in the Circus of Nero
, Rome, was moved to Saint Peter's Square
in the 16th century.
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
12 meters high (10.5 + 1.4 m), which was erected in the hippodrome
Hippodrome
A hippodrome was a Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. The name is derived from the Greek words "hippos and "dromos"...
of Herod the Great
Herod the Great
Herod , also known as Herod the Great , was a Roman client king of Judea. His epithet of "the Great" is widely disputed as he is described as "a madman who murdered his own family and a great many rabbis." He is also known for his colossal building projects in Jerusalem and elsewhere, including his...
's new-built capital of Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
, Caesarea Maritima. The obelisk seems to have been erected after Herod's time, in the 2nd century CE. The obelisk was discovered in 1980, broken in three sections and buried in the ruins of the hippodrome, where it must originally have been a major feature. It was restored and reerected in 2001.
Trophy obelisks were erected in similar urban contexts by Herod's Roman patrons. An obelisk erected in the Hippodrome of Constantinople
Hippodrome of Constantinople
The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with only a few fragments of the original structure surviving...
remains in situ. Another, formerly in the Circus of Nero
Circus of Nero
The Circus of Nero or Circus of Caligula was a circus in ancient Rome.-Construction:It was begun by Caligula on the property of his mother Agrippina on the Ager Vaticanus , and finished by Nero...
, Rome, was moved to Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
in the 16th century.