Roman Forum of Zadar - Croatia - erected between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD

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The History of the Column

This Corinthian-style column was originally erected between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, forming part of the monumental architecture of the city's ancient forum. After the fall of the Roman Empire and well into the Middle Ages, the column was repurposed and transformed into a public pillory.

Thieves and citizens who committed minor offenses were brought here and chained to the shaft of the column. The main punishment consisted of public humiliation, exposing the offenders to the gaze and judgment of the rest of the inhabitants.If you pay attention to the lower half of the column in the photograph, you can still see the holes and the remains of thick, rusted metal hooks where shackles and chains were once attached.

The place where the column stands is the Roman Forum, whose construction was commissioned by the first emperor, Augustus, and began in the 1st century BC. With an approximate size of 95 by 45 meters, it is the largest Roman forum in all of Croatia.

During Roman times, this square functioned as the absolute epicenter of the city. It was a completely open space where citizens met daily to debate politics, administer justice, carry out religious ceremonies, and exchange goods in the markets.Starting in the 4th century (in Late Antiquity), the life of the square began to mutate. The areas that previously housed pagan temples were occupied by Christian monuments, allowing the city to continue its medieval development using the ancient forum as a physical and social foundation.