Roman relief showing tropaion

Roman relief showing tropaion. The tropaion was a form of military monument, erected by the Greeks and Romans in honour of the victory in battle. It was usually a vertical pole in the shape of a tree with outstretched arms (in later times, two crossed sticks), to which captured militaria was attached. The trophy was next sacrificed to the deities for victory.

The sculpture probably adorned the Hadrianeum, the temple of Hadrian, which was built in honour of Emperor Hadrian, who died in 138, and whose construction was commissioned by Antoninus Pius. The facility was built in 145 CE on the Field of Mars.

The relief is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.