Inside the column there are (inaccessible for tourists) stairs leading to the top – where in the past its guard lived. During the Middle Ages the column was such a huge attraction that in order to climb to its summit, topped off by a Doric capital, it was necessary to take part in an auction – the highest bidder, was able to partake in this pleasure. In the past on the top of the monument there was a bronze statue of the emperor, which was lost in tumultuous history, meaning it was most likely smelted. During the rule of Pope Sixtus V, at the end of the XVI century, the column was renovated, but the emperor no longer stood at the summit. In the new, papal Rome he was replaced by St. Paul (also made of bronze). The nearly 30-meter column stands on a high pedestal, but lower than it was initially, since during the afore-mentioned modernization the column had to fit with the then street level, which meant partial burial of the pedestal by almost 4 meters.

The columns visible on the relief, made in Carrara marble, tell of the emperor’s military campaigns waged against tribes, which continuously penetrated the northern borders of the empire. They began in 166 A.D., lasted until the death of Marcus Aurelius and were marked with great losses in people. The sculpture story begins with the Roman armies crossing the Danube. In the lower part the story of the escapades against the Marcomanni and the Quadi, are shown (172 A.D.), in the upper – against the Sarmatians (174 and 175 A.D.). Apart from scenes of slaughter, capture of prisoners, including women and children, the burning of villages and the suffering of the dying warriors, we will also notice a depiction of the so-called miracle in the land of the Quadi, when in order to save the surrounded Roman legions, the emperor prays to obtain divine intercession, resulting in the salvation of the soldiers.

The figures on the relief are piled up and crowded, which causes the composition to appear as multidimensional. Their large heads can be seen well enough to read the pain, doubt and fear etched on their faces. The method of representation is expressive, which is further strengthened by the stonecutting itself. Using a drill causes an increase in the chiaroscuro effect, while the deep relief obtained in such a way achieves additional artfulness and drama. The emperor is depicted as an autonomous leader, marked with authority and leadership charisma, but also a general full of mercy, when he pardons prisoners.

We can be under the impression, that the craftsmen who completed the relief knew their craft, but the representation is of little refinement, bereft of mastery and virtuosity. The propaganda aspect of the column, which was to document the bravery of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who spent the last decade of his life in military camps, but not his spiritual attributes, does not allow to impart to later generations the image of “emperor philosopher”, with whom we generally associate this figure. In his Meditations, which he wrote during military escapades and which were an intimate diary of his thoughts and feelings, he created one of the most insightful, based on Stoic principles, vision of a man who has come to terms with life – kind, sensible, serious, humble, and diligent. That is the man he seemed to be – strict in relation to himself and understanding towards others.