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Rue Serpenoise / Place de la République

Colonne de Merten

Merten Column

Jupiter Column

Antique sculptor/artist
3rd century (copy 1989)

Description

Copy of the Jupiter Column found at Merten, Moselle, in 1878 in 71 fragments and is now in the Musée de La Cour d'Or.

A Jupiter Column is an archaeological monument belonging to a type widespread in Roman Germania. Such pillars express the religious beliefs of their time. They were erected in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, mostly near Roman settlements or villas in the Germanic provinces.

The column is approximately 12 metres in height and composed of three blocks of carved stone with Jupiter on the top, an anguiped, a half-man & half-serpent monster. The capital depicts the four seasons, the middle section shows empty niches for the deities of the week (only fragments present), while Apollo, Minerva, Juno and Hercules are represented at the base.

Metz - Colonne de Merten
Jupiter slaying the anguiped.
The four seasons

Apollon / Apollo

Minerve / Minerva

Junon / Juno

Hercule / Hercules

Inscription(s)

replique d'une colonne du iii^e siecle apres j.c. decouverte en 1878 a
merten
erigee rue serpenoise, l'antique "via scarponensis", dans l'axe du "cardo
maxumus" du metz gallo-romain.
son socle est decore des statues d'apollon, junon, minereve et hercule ete
son chapitre des bustes des saisons.
a son sommet un jupiter-cavalier, assimile au dieu gaulois taranis,
terrassant l'anguipede, monstre a buste d'homme et corps de serpent.
symbole de la civilisation gallo-romaine, elle evoque la prosperite et le
renouveau.
l'original est presente au musee de la "cour d'or" a metz.
inauguree le 10 fevrier 1989 par monsieur jean marie rausch, maire de metz
ministre du commerce exterieur en presence de monsieur françois grasmuck,
maire de merten et de son conseil municipal.

Sculptor

Anonymous Roman or Greek sculptor or artist from Antiquity

Sources & Information

Musée de La Cour d'Or, Metz (57) : inauguration de la sculpture "le Gardien du seuil".
Lieux insolites, La colonne à l'Anguipède.
Alexander Reis, 'Les colonnes à Jupiter de Merten (Moselle) et de Grand (Vosges) : histoire de la découverte, contexte archéologique et fiabilité d’une reconstitution du XIXe s.' Revue archéologique de l'Est 61 (2012) (PDF on-line).

Locatie (N 49°6'56" - E 6°10'26") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: frlo195; Photograph: 27 May 2019
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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