A Change of Symbols

The year 1106 Constantine fell off his column. Through unclear events (most likely old age and poor construction), the statue topping the column broke off. It took a few years for the Byzantium Empire to renovate the column, but by now Christianity had grown and the column top was replaced with a cross.

This fundamentally changes the meaning of the monument. A column without a cross is an ornament or decoration, while a column with a cross is a religious symbol with much more cultural ties behind it. The column was originally erected to stand as a testament for achievement of a great emperor, but it has been repurposed to instead show the conquest of Christianity. It is a telltale sign of the advancement of Christian crusades.