The Antoninus Pius Column was a Roman triumphal column dedicated in honor of the Roman emperor Antoninus Pius and his wife Faustina the Elder by his successors, co-emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, in 161 AD The column alone was 14.75 meters high and had a diameter of 1.90 meters, and was made of red granite, without reliefs on the column like other triumphal columns such as those of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius. The column itself has been lost to history, yet the base expresses iconography that art historians are still studying and interpreting today. The main components of the column base contain two sides of funerary decursio and the depiction of the apotheosis of Antoninus Pius and Faustina the Elder, decursio and apotheosis depict two separate but equally important styles and motifs. The decursio sides are representations of Antoninus The deification of Pius and the funerary rites. The depiction is composed of the cavalry surrounding the standing figures, two of whom carry military standards, while the others wear armour. These scenes represent the essential ceremony for the deification of the imperial members. The style used within these sides is embossed, but also deviates from the traditional classic style. The variation of the classical style is evident by depicting squat human forms and using two types of perspective within a single space. The figures also lack the grace of other works from this period that follow the classical style. The perspective of the work is unclear as the figures appear to be suspended in space for what appears to be a view from above and at the same time use a single perspective. Despite the deviation from the classical style, this p...... middle of paper ......ntal because it set a precedent in using both traditional and non-traditional styles to make a work coexist. Accordingly, the Column of Antoninus Pius is a commemorative column for the deification of Antoninus Pius and Faustina the Elder, after their deaths. The column itself was not decorated, which was different from an earlier commemorative column, such as that of Trajan; the column is lost to history, yet the base still tells its story. The decursio depicts the importance for the Romans of the deification and funerary rites of the imperial couple. The sense of apotheosis describes the imperial supremacy of Rome, that of their gods, and the authority of Rome itself. Culturally and artistically this work helps viewers see the rise of a god and the ceremony it requires, while displaying different styles within the same work, classical and unconventional styles.